Sandown pupil Katie Cook was riding her brand new mountain bike at Bewl Water when she was thrown over the handlebars causing fatal internal injuries.

"Treasure the time you have with them, " was the message from devastated mum, Diane, 37, who held her only daughter as she was dying.

Katie was enjoying a family day out with Diane, dad Jim, 35, and brothers Michael, 13, and Matthew, seven, when the shocking accident happened almost two weeks ago.

"We'd just bought the bike the day before for her," said Diane, of Chiltern Drive. "She was made up with it. We wanted to take her somewhere quiet for her first ride so we went to Bewl Water.

"She was riding down a country lane when she swerved to miss a holly leaf because she thought it might puncture her tyre and she went over the handlebars," said Diane.

"She got up straight away and started crying and we thought she had just winded herself, but then she said she felt sick and wanted to go home."

Her only visible injuries were a red bruise mark on her stomach and a graze on her elbow.

"She said her chest hurt and she started to feel dizzy then fell to the ground," said Diane.

The family ran to call for an ambulance at a nearby house with Jim carrying his daughter, as she began to drift in and out of consciousness.

Said Diane: "I was trying to keep her warm and she actually said to me 'I am going to die'."

The youngster was taken to the Kent and Sussex Hospital at Tunbridge Wells, but shockingly passed away shortly after arrival.

A post mortem revealed she had ruptured her liver which caused massive internal bleeding.

Sussex Police are carrying out tests on the bike to check whether there were any faults with it and an inquest will be held.

The family are still trying to come to terms with what happened on that heart-breaking day.

"I can't accept it," said Diane. "She was our only little girl. Her bedroom is exactly as she left it. Her younger brother keeps hugging her pink fleece and her dog Bella is pining for her."

Animal lover Katie, who was due to start at Helenswood in September, used to go horse riding at Ellenwhorne Equestrian Centre in Staplecross, and as well as her Spaniel Bella, she had several rabbits and a hamster.

"She lived for her horses," said Diane. "She went every Saturday morning and wanted to own her own equestrian centre when she grew up."

Appropriately a horse-drawn carriage is taking Katie to Hastings Cemetery for Friday morning's service.

Diane has compiled a disc of her favourite music to be played and friends and family will be wearing her favourite colours - lilac and pink.