STAFF at the Harrow Inn, Wanborough, have been devastated by the tragic death of 17-year-old waitress Lorna Gibbison.

The body of Miss Gibbison, whose family live in Bishopstone, was discovered by workmen in the courtyard at the side of Alexander House, Fleming Way, Swindon, shortly after 9am on Monday.

A post mortem examination found her injuries were consistant with a fall.

Miss Gibbison was last seen leaving the pub in a taxi, at about 10.30pm on Friday.

She had been working part-time there since September 2. Owner Karen Gray, 40, said everyone had taken her to their hearts.

"She settled in immediately and got on with all the staff in the kitchen," she said.

"She was lovely, friendly and polite and I can't say a bad word against her.

"Everybody here is totally devastated and in a state of shock. I feel absolutely awful because she left here in a taxi and then, whatever it was that happened, happened after she left here.

"My condolences go out to her family."

Before working at the Harrow Inn, Miss Gibbison spent about three-and-a-half years at the True Heart on the High Street in her home village of Bishopstone.

Mandy Hickton, 37, who runs the pub with her husband Bryan, said the village was in a state of complete shock.

She said Miss Gibbison was a charming young girl, who was fantastic with their three children, aged 14, 11 and six.

"She was just such a lovely kid," she said. "She was great with our children. They are all totally devastated by it.

"She was someone who really lived life to the full. She was an incredibly popular person, who was always game for a laugh and had a heart of gold as well."

Miss Gibbison's friend Viva Woolhouse, who worked with her for the last eight months, said that she was a bubbly and kind-hearted girl who was looking forward to the future.

The pair worked at Chatsworth House, a base for child and family health services in Bath Road, Old Town.

"She was brilliant with kids," said Ms Woolhouse. "She was always up to something and doing things like a silly little dance to make people laugh - that was just Lorna."

Ms Woolhouse, 45, of Stratton St Margaret, said that having just moved out from home, Miss Gibbison was beginning to enjoy being independent and was looking at starting a college course.

"On Friday last week she did her first online shopping and she was so excited about it being delivered," she said.

"And this weekend she was supposed to be cooking a meal for one of her friends. I had given her a Thai curry recipe and her attitude was I'll be on the phone all day to you to make sure I get it right'.

"It's really sad that she's lost her life. She was looking forward to moving on - she was at the college last week looking at college courses. She was thinking about the future."

Chatsworth House is run by Swindon Primary Care Trust, and chief executive Jan Stubbings said: "Our sympathy goes out to Lorna's family at this difficult time.

"Although she had only worked with us for a few months, she worked hard and made many friends. She will be sadly missed by all our staff."

Alex Collingridge, Lorna's head of year at the Ridgeway School, said: "She was a very vivacious girl who would light up a room," he said.

"She was rather mischievous - but in a good way. She was also very ambitious. She wanted to open her own nightclub, or earn her living working in that industry.

She left the school in May 2005 after taking her GCSEs.

Factfile

  • Three weeks ago: Miss Gibbison began working as a part-time waitress at The Harrow Inn in Wanborough.
  • Ten days ago: Miss Gibbison left her family home in Bishopstone and moved to rented accommodation in Frobisher Drive, Swindon.
  • On Friday September 15 at 10.30pm - Miss Gibbison finishes work at The Harrow and is picked up by a taxi.
  • The next day at 7pm - Miss Gibbison fails to arrive for work at the pub.
  • On Monday September 18 at 9.03am - The body of 17-year-old Miss Gibbison is found by workmen in the courtyard at the side of Alexander House in Fleming Way.
  • On Tuesday September 19 - A post mortem examination at Southmead Hospital, Bristol is held to establish the cause of death.