THE loss of any child is a cause of great sadness. But the circumstances surrounding the death of 13-year-old Kelsey Winter are especially heartbreaking.

An inquest into Kelsey's death yesterday heard how she was found hanging at her home in Barnard Castle after she was upset by name-calling at school.

We will never know exactly what led Kelsey to do what she did, or whether she really intended to kill herself.

But it is a terrible tragedy which will resonate with every parent because they will recognise it as a case of "there but for the grace of God go I".

We know that there will be those in the close-knit community of Barnard Castle who will question whether they bear some responsibility or that they could have done more to stop it happening.

But, as Coroner Andrew Tweddle said yesterday, it is not right to apportion blame.

Name-calling in school playgrounds is a common part of childhood and only in extremely rare cases does it have such devastating consequences.

How many of us, as children, either called others names or were on the receiving end of teasing? We all did it, to some extent, and we were all victims of it too.

That said, we report this case in the hope that it will act as a reminder to us all - young and old - about the vulnerability of teenagers and about the importance of being aware of the very real dangers of bullying at all levels.

Our thoughts are with Kelsey's family, friends and teachers at this very sad time.