The cousin of Chloe Watson, a 16-year-old girl who died in Leeds on Saturday, says the youngster’s ‘whole life was taken in a flash over a boy’

View 2 Images

Chloe Watson(Image: Facebook)

The cousin of a 16-year-old girl who died after being found with serious injuries says her “whole life was taken in a flash over a boy”.

Officers were called at 5.55am on Saturday to Kennerleigh Avenue in Austhorpe, Leeds, after a teenage girl was found unconscious in the street, West Yorkshire Police said. She suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead shortly afterwards, the force said. The girl has been identified publicly by family and friends as Chloe Watson. A senior investigating officer said police are “treating her death as murder and have arrested four people in connection with it”.

In a fundraiser set up for Chloe on GoFundMe, Shantelle Watson wrote: “My 16-year-old cousin’s life was sadly taken in tragedy. 16 years young. She didn’t even make it to her 18th – her whole life was taken in a flash over a boy. Her mum is distraught; she has left two younger siblings behind.”

She added: “I wanted to create a GoFundMe to help give her the best send off possible. She didn’t deserve this; she was so full of life, such an innocent, beautiful soul taken too soon.”

View 2 Images

A tribute described Chloe Watson as a ‘beautiful girl’ with a ‘bubbly personality’(Image: Facebook)

Public tributes posted on Facebook have shown the community’s “heartbreak” over the youngster’s death, Leeds Live reports. One post read: “I am going to miss you, Chloe Watson. Sending love to your family, looking over everyone, especially your little sisters – you had so much love for them. Love you millions, my girl.”

Another tribute read: “Rest in peace, you beautiful girl, you are so loved and will continue to be loved forever. You will be forever missed and never forgotten. Your bubbly personality, your weird laugh, and your cringy jokes will forever be unmatched. You always made sure everyone was feeling loved, and we will continue to do that for you.”

Two 18-year-old women, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday. All four remain in police custody while a crime scene is in place and officers carry out enquiries.

Detectives were not immediately able to identify the teenager, but said on Sunday that she had been formally identified as a 16-year-old girl from the Cleckheaton area. Her family have been notified and are being supported by specially trained officers.

The senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Marc Bowes, said: “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 asked to contact police by calling 101 or using the online live chat function, quoting log number 280 of March 28. Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting the Crimestoppers website.