A girl of 14 who died with her mother in a house fire has been described as a caring, loyal friend with a heart of gold.

Lois Baxter-Smith should have started her first day in Year 10 at The Causeway School in Larkspur Drive, Shinewater, Eastbourne, yesterday.

Grieving pupils aged 11 to 16 returning from their summer holidays were told at special assemblies that Lois had died.

Firefighters pulled Lois and her mother Sally-Ann Baxter-Smith, 38, unconscious from the burning mid-terraced house in Beach Road, Seaside, Eastbourne.

However, mother and daughter were pronounced dead from smoke inhalation at the Eastbourne District General Hospital following the tragedy on Saturday at 5.30am.

Lois's 12-year-old sister and a boy of nine who was staying the night fled the blazing building by jumping from an upstairs window, escaping with minor injuries.

Floral tributes were laid outside the house yesterday as police continued to examine the gutted property.

Teachers at The Causeway School paid tribute to Lois as a devoted pupil with many friends.

At the end of the summer term she received a prize for her caring attitude and she had trained to help younger pupils settle into secondary school life.

Assistant headteacher Helen Key said: "Lois had been a student with us at The Causeway for three years and made a vital contribution to the life of the school in that time.

"She was always there to help out other children and was a loyal friend, often sought out by other students who needed a shoulder to cry on.

"Her fellow students described her as having a heart of gold."

Headteacher Peter Barton said: "This is a tragic event which has come as a great shock to the whole school community.

"Lois was a valuable student who will be greatly missed and our condolences go to all of her family at this sad and tragic time."

Neighbours told of their shock at the deaths of Lois and her mother, whose father recently died.

One said: "She was one of life's decent people. I haven't got a bad word to say about her. It's just an awful and totally shocking waste of two lives."

Detectives were yesterday granted extra time by magistrates to question a man aged 35 from Eastbourne being held on suspicion of murder.

An investigation by police and the fire brigade failed to find a cause for the fierce blaze, prompting police to launch the murder inquiry.

Anyone with information can call police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.