By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 10:45 EST, 2 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 3 April 2012 . A girl of six choked to death on her school lunch, it emerged yesterday. Chantelle Frith died last Thursday as she sat down to eat at Pentland Primary School in Billingham, Teesside. The youngster was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton but despite desperate efforts to revive her she later died. Tragic: Chantelle Firth was rushed to hospital after the accident on Thursday afternoon at Pentland Primary School in Billingham, Teesside, but medics were unable to save her . A post-mortem examination revealed she died after choking on a piece of food. Last night, her relatives were being comforted by trained family liaison officers and were too distressed to comment. Chantelle lived with her grandmother, Denise Firth, 47, her legal guardian, in Billingham. Her parents, Christopher Firth, 27, . and Karen McCue, 27, both from Bradford, West Yorkshire, have learning . difficulties, the inquest was told. Police have now launched an . investigation to determine how the accident occurred. It is unclear . whether Chantelle was eating from a packed lunch or a school dinner. Tributes: Flowers and toys were attached to the school's fence - Chantelle's family are being comforted by specialist police officers after a post-mortem indicated the girl had died from choking on food . Worrying: Headteacher of the school Hazel Ducker said: 'Our pupils and staff are still in a state of shock and we are working hard to support any children who have been affected during this upsetting and difficult time' Parents at the school were informed about the tragedy and spoke yesterday of their shock. One parent, who did not wish to be named, said she was considering pulling her son out of the school. ‘I am very concerned now,’ she said. ‘I am considering whether to send him back after the Easter holidays or . try and get him into another school. ‘I know children have accidents but you wonder how a child can choke to death.’ She added: ‘There were police outside . the school when I picked my little boy up on Thursday but I just . thought they might have been there to do a display or something. ‘It is just terrible.’ Fear: One parent, who did not wish to be named, said she was considering pulling her son out of the school' I know children have accidents but you wonder how a child can choke to death' Flowers were laid at the school gates over the weekend as well as teddies and cards inscribed with heartfelt messages. News of the tragedy also spread . online. One person wrote on Twitter: ‘Just heard about the little girl . who died at Pentland. Went to school with my little cousin. Tragic for . someone so young.’ Another person wrote on the social . networking site Facebook: ‘No one deserves to lose a child that young no . matter what the cause.’ A local resident added: ‘It is shocking, so scary, you think they’re safe at school.’ Another message read: ‘Woke up wishing it was all a bad dream.’ A spokeswoman from Cleveland Police said they were called to the school at 1.05pm on Thursday. She said: 'A six-year-old girl was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees (pictured) and subsequently died' The school’s headteacher Hazel Ducker . said: ‘Chantelle was a very popular girl and our whole school community . is devastated by the tragic loss of such a lovely, gentle and kind . child. ‘Our pupils and staff are still in a . state of shock and we are working hard to support any children who have . been affected during this upsetting and difficult time. ‘Our thoughts and sympathy go out to . Chantelle’s family and we are thinking about ways in which we can all . remember and commemorate her.’ A spokesman for Cleveland Police said . officers were called to the school at 1.05pm. ‘A post-mortem has been . conducted and the girl appears to have died as a result of choking on a . piece of food,’ she added. The inquest was opened and adjourned.
Chantelle Firth was rushed to hospital after the accident at Pentland Primary School in Billingham, Teesside, but medics were unable to save her .
Her family are being comforted by specialist police officers after a post-mortem indicated the girl had died from choking on food .
Police have now launched an investigation into the accident .
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 10:45 EST, 2 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 3 April 2012 . A girl of six choked to death on her school lunch, it emerged yesterday. Chantelle Frith died last Thursday as she sat down to eat at Pentland Primary School in Billingham, Teesside. The youngster was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton but despite desperate efforts to revive her she later died. Tragic: Chantelle Firth was rushed to hospital after the accident on Thursday afternoon at Pentland Primary School in Billingham, Teesside, but medics were unable to save her . A post-mortem examination revealed she died after choking on a piece of food. Last night, her relatives were being comforted by trained family liaison officers and were too distressed to comment. Chantelle lived with her grandmother, Denise Firth, 47, her legal guardian, in Billingham. Her parents, Christopher Firth, 27, . and Karen McCue, 27, both from Bradford, West Yorkshire, have learning . difficulties, the inquest was told. Police have now launched an . investigation to determine how the accident occurred. It is unclear . whether Chantelle was eating from a packed lunch or a school dinner. Tributes: Flowers and toys were attached to the school's fence - Chantelle's family are being comforted by specialist police officers after a post-mortem indicated the girl had died from choking on food . Worrying: Headteacher of the school Hazel Ducker said: 'Our pupils and staff are still in a state of shock and we are working hard to support any children who have been affected during this upsetting and difficult time' Parents at the school were informed about the tragedy and spoke yesterday of their shock. One parent, who did not wish to be named, said she was considering pulling her son out of the school. ‘I am very concerned now,’ she said. ‘I am considering whether to send him back after the Easter holidays or . try and get him into another school. ‘I know children have accidents but you wonder how a child can choke to death.’ She added: ‘There were police outside . the school when I picked my little boy up on Thursday but I just . thought they might have been there to do a display or something. ‘It is just terrible.’ Fear: One parent, who did not wish to be named, said she was considering pulling her son out of the school' I know children have accidents but you wonder how a child can choke to death' Flowers were laid at the school gates over the weekend as well as teddies and cards inscribed with heartfelt messages. News of the tragedy also spread . online. One person wrote on Twitter: ‘Just heard about the little girl . who died at Pentland. Went to school with my little cousin. Tragic for . someone so young.’ Another person wrote on the social . networking site Facebook: ‘No one deserves to lose a child that young no . matter what the cause.’ A local resident added: ‘It is shocking, so scary, you think they’re safe at school.’ Another message read: ‘Woke up wishing it was all a bad dream.’ A spokeswoman from Cleveland Police said they were called to the school at 1.05pm on Thursday. She said: 'A six-year-old girl was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees (pictured) and subsequently died' The school’s headteacher Hazel Ducker . said: ‘Chantelle was a very popular girl and our whole school community . is devastated by the tragic loss of such a lovely, gentle and kind . child. ‘Our pupils and staff are still in a . state of shock and we are working hard to support any children who have . been affected during this upsetting and difficult time. ‘Our thoughts and sympathy go out to . Chantelle’s family and we are thinking about ways in which we can all . remember and commemorate her.’ A spokesman for Cleveland Police said . officers were called to the school at 1.05pm. ‘A post-mortem has been . conducted and the girl appears to have died as a result of choking on a . piece of food,’ she added. The inquest was opened and adjourned.
Chantelle Firth was rushed to hospital after the Primary School in Billingham, Teesside, but medics were unable to save her . A post-mortem told. Police have now launched an . investigation fence - Chantelle's family are being comforted by specialist police officers after a post-mortem indicated the girl had died from choking on food