Holiday balcony plunge girl, 17, dies in hospital

Grace Ford, 17, lost her fight for life in hospital last night 12 days after she plunged 90ft from a balcony in Magaluf.

The student had just completed her A-levels and was holidaying with school friends when the accident happened.

She is understood to have met British holidaymaker Edward Soppet, 18, and returned to the Torrenova apartment block in Punta Ballena where he was staying.

Mr Soppet, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, was alleged to have helped the teenager climb out of the window in the early hours of the morning because visitors were banned from his room. But Grace fell as she was trying to climb out and landed in an inside courtyard, breaking both legs and suffering other injuries including internal bleeding.

Grace, a keen horse-rider and hockey player, from Greenhalgh, near Blackpool, Lancashire, was found covered in blood after she fell on to a cement floor. Mr Soppet was arrested and appeared in court accused of failing to help in connection with the accident.

She was taken to the Son Dureta hospital in the capital, Palma, where her parents kept a constant vigil. The teenager's condition had begun to improve but she then caught an infection from which she did not recover.

Family friend Steve Hall said: "After 48 hours of fighting an infection, that really took its toll.

"She was the most wonderful girl. Everyone is going to miss her terribly. She has fought like a tiger, fought it as hard as anyone could."