THE distraught grandmother of a 14-year-old girl has told how she found the teenager dead in her bed early today, as police launched an investigation into the mystery death.

Catherine Smith said she thought her granddaughter, Catherine Kent, was playing a prank when she could not rouse her for school.

The teenager was due to start her first day at Primet High School, Colne, after switching from Walton High, Nelson.

Catherine had been staying overnight with her grandmother at her mum's house, in Crawford Street, Nelson.

Fighting back tears, Mrs Smith, who is believed to live in Regent Street, Nelson, said: "I went to get her up at around six o'clock.

"It was early because she was starting at the new school. I couldn't make her get up, but I just thought she was messing about, playing a prank.

"I could feel that her feet were cold. I came back downstairs and then went back up again a few minutes later.

"Her lips were blue and I was speaking to the ambulance service over the phone and did what they told me to do. I tried to resuscitate her.

"Then the ambulance turned up at the house but there was nothing they could do for her." Although her real name was Latoya Catherine Campbell Mitchell, the youngster used the name Catherine Kent. She was a member of the Air Training Corps based in Brierfield.

A post-mortem examination was due to be held today at Burnley General Hospital. Police said they could not confirm whether the death was suspicious until the result of the examination was known

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "At the moment we don't know how she has died. We are trying to establish the circumstances."

Inquiries into the incident are continuing and the investigation is being led by Detective Inspector Simon Leach.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.