The death of a 15-year-old British pupil in a coach crash in France has left her family and an entire school "devastated", according to her headteacher.

Katherine Fish, from Largs in Ayrshire, died when the coach overturned on the A6 motorway link road at Bierre-les-Semur, near Dijon.

Her family were said to be distraught and a police spokesman said they were too upset to travel to France.

Five other people were seriously injured when the coach, carrying a party from the 1,000-pupil Largs Academy on a school trip, crashed at about 0400BST on Thursday.

Katherine Fish: Talented pianist

The coach, owned by Allan's Coaches of Gorebridge, Midlothian, was carrying 51 passengers, among them eight adults.

One of the two drivers on board, Tony Cowley, said he had been asleep when the coach turned over on its side.

He said his co-driver had only been at the wheel for an hour.

"I don't know what went wrong," he said.

Headteacher at the school, George Maxwell, described the moment he had to tell Katherine's parents Faye and Ian of their daughter's death.

Lovely girl

He said: "It was absolutely awful, it's the first time I have ever had to do such a thing and no words can express the sadness felt.

"Her parents were just devastated, absolutely devastated."

Mr Maxwell said the 15-year-old, whose family moved to Scotland from England in 1998, had been a very talented pianist who had recently started playing the oboe.

He said: "She was a very able and lovely girl who was an asset to her family and the school.

"She'll be remembered with great affection. We all have very fond memories of her and will remember her."

He said pupils and teachers at the school still felt "utter disbelief" at the tragedy but Mr Maxwell said the close-knit town was rallying together to help families involved. The school was closed at lunchtime.

The coach crashed in central France

He said the school would be open next week, during the summer holidays, to allow parents and friends to receive any help or guidance they required.

At a press conference at the school, Strathclyde Police Superintendent Ian Henderson said the condition of the seriously injured people was stable.

None of their injuries were thought to be life-threatening.

Fifteen other people suffered slight injuries in the accident, he said.

The names of the injured pupils were not released, but the three teachers were named as PE teacher Alan Sturrock, 43, English teacher David McCluskey, 34, and Jeannette Gray, a 50-year-old history teacher.

Cultural trip

Mr McCluskey lost an arm in the accident, while Mr Sturrock suffered severe injuries to his legs and Mrs Gray suffered multiple arm fractures.

The pupils were travelling to Barcelona for a week-long cultural and leisure trip.

The British Consul General in Lyon, Jonathon Noakes, said he had been present when pupils were told that a student had died in the crash.

He said: "They were told in a very straightforward yet sensitive way.

"They reacted calmly but obviously they are in a state of deep grief and shock at the moment."

He said plans were in hand to get people home as soon as possible.

Even those who had been slightly injured in the crash could return to Scotland on Friday, he said.

As a mark of respect, the Formula 4-Stroke Association has announced the postponement of the Scottish Powerboat Grand Prix, which was due to take place in Largs this weekend.