CHILDREN at Romsey's Mountbatten School are staging a special 'Wish by Music' concert in memory of a fellow pupil who has died of cancer.

Thirteen-year-old Hayley Smith died on Thursday last week and yesterday Mountbatten School staff and pupils said an emotional goodbye at her funeral. Hayley's funeral service was held at Romsey Abbey followed by cremation at Southampton. Mountbatten School's headteacher Lesley Morffew paid tribute to Hayley.

"Hayley was always positive and had a bright spirit which shone like a beacon. She was determined to live life to the full and always thought about other people. She was an inspiration to us all," said Mrs Morffew.

Chloe Parker and friends are behind the special concert at the Whitenap Lane-based school. Only pupils at the school and their friends will be invited to it.

"Hayley always looked jolly. She was in a wheelchair and seemed to be happy when I saw her. We are all shocked by this and only found out on the last day of term (spring) that she had cancer. It didn't seem fair, she was so young and younger than me. She was one of our own, said Chloe.

Some of Romsey businesses have promised to donate prizes for a raffle at the concert, which is being held at the school's Lantern Theatre over two nights. This will be Thursday May 11 and Friday May 12 between 5pm and 8.30pm each evening. Tickets are priced at £3.50.

"We would like shops and businesses to donate any items that they have for the raffle," said Chloe. Around £5,000 has been raised for Hayley's Wish fundraising project which began after the teenager made a list of all the things she wanted to do before she died.

Hayley's head of year group, Rachel Averill, said she was a special pupil and would be very much missed. Cash has been raised for the Wish fund through cake sales, a rock concert and a fashion show.

"Hayley was a fantastic kid, always positive and different. She was not afraid to be the person she was. Hayley was very much a young girl who loved pink. She stayed in a pink suite at the De Vere Hotel in Southampton and travelled in a limo. She wrote a wish list of all the things she wanted to do and these were some of them. She even went out on a Harley Davidson run. Hayley had been planning to go and meet Sharon Osbourne (TV's X Factor judge and wife of Ozzie) but was too ill to travel and Sharon made a surprise visit to Hayley's home about 10 days ago.

"Hayley was very interested in animals and visited animal sanctuaries," said Rachel.