The parents of a five-year-old girl who died following a traffic collision in a village hall car park today returned to their New Zealand home for their daughter's burial.

Angharad Brosnan's sister, Marcail, eight, will travel with her mother, Amanda Jane and father, Godfrey Phillip, to Dunedin after being comforted by staff and pupils at the school they shared, Watchfield Primary.

Tributes have poured in for Angharad, of Roman Walk, Watchfield, near Highworth, who died in Great Western Hospital after she was struck by the car.

The silver Volvo estate hit Angharad in Watchfield Village Hall car park, where she is believed to have been playing with pebbles after her ballet lesson.

Contrary to reports in a national newspaper, she was not wearing her leotard, pink tights and ballet shoes but had changed into casual clothes.

Huw Evans, headteacher at Watchfield Primary School, said the whole community was mourning for Angharad, who should have celebrated her sixth birthday yesterday.

He said: "Angharad was a beautiful child with gorgeous auburn hair. She was extremely friendly and took part in everything. Everyone in the community is devastated and deeply shocked by the loss."

Marcail returned to lessons yesterday before flying out to New Zealand, where she will stay with her family for four or five weeks.

Mr Evans said: "We are all supporting each other and have said prayers for Angharad. She was a wonderful, bubbly girl and played the donkey in our nativity play. Her classmates are coping very well with the tragedy and we hope to hold a special service when her family come back."

The school also intends to plant a tree in Angharad's memory.

Her family arrived in the UK less than a year ago from New Zealand.

Mr Brosnan is a soldier who has been seconded for 18 months to the Royal Military College in Shrivenham.

Since the accident on Thursday evening, Angharad's parents have paid tribute to their daughter's amazing personality.

In a statement the family said: "She was a beautiful child who seemed to make an impression on all who knew her.

"She was gifted with the most creative imagination we have ever come across."

Describing Angharad's ability to see something special in everything, they told how her pockets were always full of 'treasures' for which she had found ingenious uses.

Dressing up, drawing, acting and dancing were just a few of her favourite hobbies.

The statement said: "She loved to make-believe and act. She had many lovely little friends. Together they played fairies and mummies and daddies, and made each other laugh. She was laughing about her up-coming birthday party immediately before she died.

"We are so blessed to have had Angharad with us in this world. We are taking her home to rest her little body, but she will always be part of our family.

"It just wouldn't be complete without her."