17-year-old girl collapses and dies

A 17-year-old schoolgirl at a top public school has collapsed and died.

The teenager was a boarder at St Swithun's School for girls in Winchester, Hampshire, when she was taken ill at 1.30pm on Thursday.

She was taken by ambulance to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester but died an hour later.

Police were called to the school but confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious.

It is understood the girl did not have any underlying health problems and the coroner has been informed.

Spokesman for the school Simon Mayes said: "This has been a complete shock as she was only 17 and we are currently talking with her parents."

St Swithun's School, whose headmistress is Jane Gandee, charges £9,070 a term for boarders and educates girls aged 11 to 18 on a boarding and day basis.

It has about 440 pupils of whom about 200 are boarders. It also runs a co-educational prep school.