Tributes to schoolgirl from Hull after swimming tragedy on France trip

The family of Jessica Lawson, who sadly died whilst on a school trip to France, have confirmed that Jessica has been brought home.

Schoolmates of 12 year old Jessica Lawson who died on a school trip to France will be able to share their memories of her as Wolfreton School in East Yorkshire opens a book today in her honour.

More than 100 people gathered yesterday to release balloons in her memory.

Watch: Family join schoolfriends to remember Jessica

The mother of one of Jessica Lawson's schoolmates has been speaking about her decision to organise a release of balloons in her memory.

Jessica's parents joined more than 100 of their daughter's schoolmates and their families at Wolfreton School this lunchtime to share their memories of her.

Beck Davison organised the balloon release. Her daughter Megan was in the same year group at the school as Jessica.

The parents of 12-year-old Jessica Lawson who drowned on a school trip in France have joined dozens of her friends and their parents for a balloon release outside her school.

More than a hundred people gathered to remember Jessica at Wolfreton School in East Yorkshire. They met at the school gates where dozens of flowers have been laid for the schoolgirl.

Prayers are being said at St Luke's, Willerby, this morning for Jessica Lawson, the 12-year-old who died on a school trip in France. Her friends will also release balloons at Wolfreton School in her memory.

The family of a 12-year-old who drowned on a school trip to France have posted a video on social media in her memory.

Jessica Lawson died in what's being described as a swimming accident after a pontoon overturned on a lake in the Meymac area of central France.

Around 20 classmates and teachers who were also on the trip have now returned to Hull where flowers have been left outside Wolfreton School.

Jess's family have travelled to France to bring her body home.

Jess's dad, Anthony, posted this tribute video on Facebook:

A tourist who was taking a picture of the "lovely scene" of children playing on a pontoon during a school trip has told of her shock when she saw them fall into the water.

Twelve-year-old schoolgirl Jessica Lawson was pulled from the lake at an activity resort in France on Tuesday but died the next day.

She was one of 24 students from Wolfreton School in Hull on the visit to the Club Correze adventure centre in Meymac on a trip which included chances to kayak, sail, mountain bike and go climbing.

Her family have travelled to France to bring their "most beautiful and outgoing girl" back home to the UK.

A Dutch tourist who was photographing the scene said the tragedy had been "a sad accident".

Emma Huismans told The Sun: "I was at the bar looking out on to the lake and it was a beautiful sunny day.

"I saw lots of children on the pontoon and took a picture because it was a lovely scene. A few minutes later there were more children then all of a sudden it flipped over."

Ms Huismans said the incident happened "very quickly" and described how she saw a girl being pulled out of the water 90 seconds later by a lifeguard.

Jessica's father Antony, who paid tribute to his "beautiful loving and kind daughter", shared a short video clip online of the schoolgirl dancing in a kitchen while being followed around by a white dog. He captioned it : "50 seconds of joy that is Jess".

French authorities are investigating the circumstances around the incident, reportedly looking into whether it was an accident or if there was a lack of vigilance among the supervisors at the centre.

The trip was run by the Activ4 tour operator who said they were, together with the owners of the activity centre, working with the local authority and the school to provide any necessary support and assistance.

Jean Valade, the mayor of Liginiac, where the incident took place, said: "The inquiry will look into the cause. It's been 30 years this centre has been open and we've never had an accident like this happen here."

Flowers have been left at Wolfreton School's gates in memory of Jessica.

The father of Jessica Lawson who died on a school trip in France has paid tribute to his "beautiful, loving and kind daughter".

12- year-old Jessica - who was a pupil at Wolfreton School in West Hull - died yesterday morning after a swimming accident on Tuesday at a resort near Meymac in the Massif Central region.

This afternoon, her classmates who were part of that trip arrived back at the school. Meanwhile, an investigation has begun in France to work out what led to Jessica's death. Michael Billington reports.

Radio station France Bleu is reporting an inquiry has been opened to see if Jessica's death was "simply an accident" or if there was a lack of vigilance among the supervisors at the centre.

Specialist diving teams from La Rochelle spent Wednesday inspecting the state of the pontoon and the beach has been closed off while the investigations continue, according to reports.

The family of a schoolgirl from East Yorkshire who died on a school trip abroad are in France today trying to bring her body home.

They say 12-year-old Jessica Lawson was "a beautiful loving and kind daughter" and they want "to get her back home to be remembered forever."

Jessica was with fellow pupils from Wolfreton School in west Hull when she died at an adventure centre in the Massif Central. It's being reported in France that she became trapped under an overturned pontoon.

At her school today her friends, including Sarina Leigh, have been paying their respects: