A memorial service has heard tributes to a teenage girl who was killed in a coach crash while on a school trip in France.

Katherine Fish, 15, died in the accident which left a number of other pupils and staff from Largs Academy injured.

One pupil - 15-year-old Mark Nicol, who has lost a hand after his arm was crushed - is still in hospital in France more than two weeks later.

Being taken from us so suddenly and so tragically is a great loss felt very, very deeply by her family

Forbes Doig, Katherine Fish's grandfather

The accident which claimed Katherine's life took place on the A6 near Dijon as the group headed for Barcelona in the early hours of 27 June.

A memorial service at the North Ayrshire school on Monday was attended by her parents Ian and Faye, friends, fellow pupils, teachers and members of the local community.

Headteacher George Maxwell said he believed the service would act as an important step in the healing process for everyone involved.

About 550 people including her 14-year-old sister, Elizabeth, attended the hour-long service within the school's assembly hall.

Katherine died while on a school trip to France

An estimated 2,000 people were able to watch the service, which was being broadcast to other areas of the school.

Tributes were led by the Rev Andrew McGurk, a member of the school chaplaincy team.

North Ayrshire Council hoped the service - which also featured the Largs Academy school choir and orchestra - would help in the long-term healing process for the school and the wider community.

Thousands of flowers and cards have been left at the school entrance since the tragedy, while letters, faxes and phone calls have been received from across the world.

Rev McGurk spoke of Katherine's smile that "radiated from her" and said she had been "a real model pupil who worked so hard and achieved so much".

'Great kindness'

He went on to read a tribute from five of her closest school friends.

It read: "Katherine was the best. Over the past four years, the six of us had come together and were very close.

"We were privileged to have spent that joyful but sadly short time with Katherine.

Katherine's parents Kaye and Ian Fish attended the service

"She will always be in our hearts and will be part of our group forever.

"We will never forget you, Kit Kat, and we will always be linked together in friendship and in love."

Katherine's grandfather Forbes Doig said she was "a bright, happy girl, fond of her family and friends".

"Being taken from us so suddenly and so tragically is a great loss felt very, very deeply by her family," he said.

"Part of the light of life was switched off for us by the news of Thursday June 27, but we have been sustained and supported by great kindness and understanding since that time."

Coach driver Mark Chisholm, 31, from Edinburgh, faces charges of manslaughter and involuntary wounding over the accident.