Students at the former school of a teacher who perished in a house fire will be offered counselling to come to terms with her death.

Sian Russ, 42, died in a fire at her home in Daisy Hill Lane on Wednesday night.

Today, students at Belle Vue Boys' School, where she taught English until last year, were being given help to cope with the news.

Bruce Berry, the head teacher of the school in Thorn Lane, said the school community was deeply distressed.

"We will be offering students counselling. It is very upsetting news.

"Some of Sian's colleague's were also very upset and had to take some time away from classes."

Miss Russ, who was unmarried, left the school and teaching formally in November.

She had been suffering from ill health for a number of years and as a result had been forced to take long periods off work.

Belle Vue Boys was the Welsh-born teacher's first job in 1987.

"When she was well, she was an excellent teacher. She built up good relations with the students and she got fantastic results,'' said Mr Berry. "She tended to be a bit of a loner, but she was still well liked by her colleagues."

The school assembly today was due to start with a minute's silence in tribute to Miss Russ, he added.

Acting Detective Inspector Fountain, of Toller Lane Police, who is leading the investigation into her death, said: "We are trying to trace the family members who we believe live in Wales.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious. We believe that the fire may well have been caused by an electrical fault."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed that Bradford Coroner Roger Whittaker had been informed about Miss Russ's death.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.