A MOTHER has paid tribute to her talented daughter who has died suddenly, aged 18.

Harriet Philo Powell was a talented sailor as well as being an accomplished artist.

She was a student at Colchester Sixth Form College where she was studying Art, Art History and English.

She had secured a place to study Art at Oxford Brookes University.

Friends have placed flowers outside the college on North Hill in memory of the popular teenager.

Her mother Ruth Philo said: “She was a lovely girl. She was outgoing, generous, fun and looked after everyone.

“Her friends have written nice tributes about how she was beautiful inside and out.

“She was pretty, bright, musical and artistic.

“She was generous and if she saw someone who didn’t have anything, she would buy them something.

“In every photo of her she is smiling.

“She had a smile that could light up a room.”

Harriet, who was a sailing instructor at Abberton Reservoir, qualified for the Team GBR Optimist dinghy sailing squad when she was 11.

Ruth added: “Hattie was a creative person and music and art were her big loves.

“She used to go to a lot of gigs. She also used to sail laser dinghies and crewed on a 42 foot yacht.

“Hattie had everything before her.”

Hattie was also a keen dancer, a talented singer and guitar player being taught by Robbie Gladwell.

She had been practicing for a concert at the Quay Theatre with Mr Gladwell in aid of breast cancer charities.

Mr Gladwell will still be performing the concert and will speak about Hattie at the performances Hattie lived with her mum, Ruth, her dad, Gordon Powell, and older brother, Joseph, in Bulmer, near Halstead.

She died suddenly and an inquest will be held in due course. There were no suspicious circumstances.

A spokesman for Hedingham School, where she studied before she went to the sixth form college, said: “Harriet will be remembered as a bright, fun-loving and popular girl who was a credit to Hedingham School in all respects.

“It is tragic someone with such potential for the future has left this world so early.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Harriet’s family and friends at this sad time.”

Assistant principal at Colchester Sixth Form College Adrian Frost  said:  “We were very saddened to hear this tragic news.

“Harriet was a popular and talented student who had many friends here at college.  

“We have been working hard over the past few days to support everyone within our college community who has been affected by her loss.”

* The concert at the Quay Theatre in Sudbury is on March 17, 18 and 19. Tickets are on sale from quaysudbury.com priced at £13.