Gemma Carter was a pupil at Cockburn High School in Leeds

A jury at the inquest into the death of a girl from Leeds who drowned while on a school holiday has criticised the organisation of the trip.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure on 13-year-old Gemma Carter who died while at Le Touquet in northern France.

Giving the verdict, the jury foreman said the children had been supervised in a "disorganised way" while on the beach.

He said: "We feel there was a shortcoming in the supervision of the pupils, specifically in the lack of formal head counts.

"The group proceeded to the beach activities in a disorganised way and the teacher was unaware of the number of pupils under his control."

Mark Duckworth was the leader of the trip

Gemma was last seen paddling and splashing in the water when she and a group of children from Cockburn High School in Leeds were in Le Touquet in June 1999.

The inquest heard that Mark Duckworth, a French teacher who was group leader on the five-day trip, took a party of nine children to the beach on the second evening of the visit.

Gemma's mother Sharon Carter, told the inquest that she had written to the school warning that her daughter could not swim.

But the head teacher of Cockburn, Colin Richardson, gave evidence that he did not receive the letter.

'Wonderful daughter'

After the inquest, Mrs Carter of Beeston, Leeds, said more could have and should have been done in the planning of the trip.

"I will always wonder if more had been done, would Gemma still be here today.

"Gemma was a wonderful daughter, and the void her death has left will never be filled," she said.

In a statement, Leeds City Council said it welcomed the verdict and the fact that the events surrounding Gemma's death had now finally been clarified.

Outdoor education

It said it continued to place value on outdoor education for young people.

"We will continue to offer guidance and support to schools to enable such visits to be provided and managed safely and appropriately," the statement added.

John Ellis, chairman of Cockburn High School governing body, said that the local education authority would now launch its own inquiry surrounding the circumstances of Gemma's death.

Until that inquiry is completed, Mr Duckworth will remain suspended from his duties at Cockburn High School.