A brave teenager who defied doctor's expectations and won thousands of hearts with her resilience to one of the world's rarest genetic conditions has passed away at the age of 17.

Hayley Okines, from Bexhill, was told that the premature ageing disease progeriashe would mean she would not live past the age of 13.

But the teenager bravely bore the condition for longer than doctors predicted and became an ambassador for the 50 or so known cases of the cruel condition.

Her mother Kerry Okines posted on Facebook last night: "My baby girl has gone somewhere better. She took her last breath in my arms at 9.39pm x."

The youngster had her autobiography Old Before My Time published when she was 14 and was able able to defy her short life expectancy thanks to pioneering drug treatment in the US.

Thousands of people have shared their sympathy with the family on Facebook.