Brianna Ghey has been remembered for her fearlessness to be “whoever she wanted to be” in a tribute from her mother.

The transgender 16-year-old was stabbed with a hunting knife in Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on the afternoon of February 11.

A boy and a girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been found guilty by a jury of the “disturbing” murder.

Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, spoke of her daughter’s bravery.

She told the BBC: “She was fearless to be whoever she wanted to be.

“She wanted to identify as a female and she wanted to wear girl’s school uniform and yeah she just did it.

“It wasn’t a hurdle at all for her.”

Brianna’s headteacher also remembered the teenager as “loud and proud and confident”.

Speaking to the BBC, Emma Mills said: “There was never any evidence of Brianna being bullied within school or out of school.

“Brianna was very much able to give as good as she got in that way.

“And I think what was really hard was that she was portrayed in the media as a victim and she didn’t live her life as a victim.

“She was someone that was loud and proud and confident in who she was.”