Ref. 28770-12MORE of Kate Walsh's friends have come forward to pay tributes to the vivacious teenager who died from a suspected drugs overdose.

Debbie Mills, 16, was one of Kate's best friends at Warneford School in Highworth, and has been deeply shocked by her death.

Debbie, from Faringdon, said: "The last time I spoke to Kate was about three months ago. We had been planning to meet up for the New Year, but in the end we didn't."

The pair had been friends since they were 11, but their friendship faded as Kate's heroin habit grew worse last summer.

Kate left her family home in Highworth in March last year to be with her boyfriend, a 27-year-old heroin addict.

She believed she could help him kick drugs, but ended up getting hooked on heroin herself.

Her body was found in a squat in Manchester Road on January 4. Her parents had reported her missing on December 30. She was aged 16.

Debbie said: "Kate's personality changed, and she didn't look healthy.

"She started taking heroin because she wanted to see what it was like. I never met her boyfriend, but she talked about him a lot.

"She said he was a nice guy who had problems and she wanted to help him.

"She fell for him because he was older and more worldly wise."

Kate was a popular pupil at school, with a talent for art, music and drama. Debbie said: "She would always look out for me at school, and would always put other people before herself. I just really miss her."

Kate also had friends at The Foyer hostel for young people in Bath Road, Old Town, where she met Leanne Hollick, 17, and Daniel Carron, 19.

Leanne and Kate struck up a friendship during the summer.

She said: "I only knew her for around two months, but we became good friends.

"Kate was the kind of person who would talk to anyone, even if she didn't know them.

"She would always make people laugh. The last time I saw her was at the end of July.

"She was such a nice girl, and I never suspected she had a drug problem, she didn't seem the type."

Daniel added: "Kate seemed to respect everyone. She was the last person you would imagine to be on heroin."

Kate's parents Anthony and Debbie Walsh, of Eastview Terrace, Highworth, were frantic when Kate confessed that she had a heroin problem in August last year.

The couple approached the police and social services for help, but say they were let down.

A major inquiry is now underway to find out whether more could have been done to save her.

Tamash Lal