‘Innocent beautiful soul’: tributes paid to teenage girl, 16, who died in Leeds as murder probe continues
Tributes have been paid to a ‘beautiful girl’ who died after being found seriously injured on a street in Leeds.
Four people remain in custody after West Yorkshire Police launched a murder investigation over the weekend. Flowers and pictures have been left at the scene in Kennerleigh Avenue, Austhorpe, following the death of the 16-year-old, who has been named locally as Chloe Watson.
Officers were called to the scene just before 6am on Saturday (March 28) following reports of a young woman being found unconscious. She was taken to hospital but later died.
Flowers continued to be laid at the scene today (March 30) on the quiet street of bungalows.
One of the messages said it was to “my beautiful girl” and “rest easy my Chloe. Love you forever my crazy girl”. Another described her as an “innocent beautiful soul”.
Two women taped a photo of Chloe to a box on the roadside as they added to the growing collection of floral tributes, while a single police van remained a few metres away.
More police arrived later on Monday and scenes-of-crime officers in white protective clothing went into one of the bungalows, PA reports.
Looking at the flowers at the scene, local resident Gillian Brook said: “This area’s really quiet. This young girl’s lost her life.
“She’d got all her life ahead of her. My granddaughter’s the same age.”
Ms Brook added: “My heart goes out to her family and everybody who knew her. It’s devastating.”
She said: “It’s just a really quiet area and you don’t expect it. It’s so, so sad.”
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Superintendent Marc Bowes said on Sunday (March 29): “Following our appeal for further information yesterday, we have now identified the deceased as a 16-year-old girl from the Cleckheaton area.
“Her family have been informed and we are supporting them as they try to come to terms with what has happened.
“Our inquiries into the incident which led to her death are continuing, and I would appeal again to anyone who was in the Kennerleigh Avenue area in the early hours of yesterday morning to come forward if they have any information which could assist our investigation.”
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, or use the live chat options at westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat, quoting log 280 of March 28.
Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.