THE death of a popular teenager is yet another tragedy to hit her close group of friends.

Youngsters in the village of Sible Hedingham were devastated by news of the death of Margaret Pierides, which is the latest in a string of tragedies to affect the group.

The young friends were still grieving the loss of Lee Dipino, a 20-year-old man from the village, who died in a car crash in May.

Mr Dipino died at the scene of the accident in Delvin End, Sible Hedingham, after the car in which he was a passenger collided with a tree.

Clare Ridley, landlady of the Rising Sun pub in nearby Castle Hedingham, said: “It’s really sad.

“Every time it affects the same group of friends. They are all really close. It really hits them hard. It took them ages to get over Lee and this will absolutely shatter them again.”

After the crash, flowers and cards were left at the scene by friends and family of Mr Dipino, who lived in Summerfields, Sible Hedingham.

Three 15-year-old boys from the area were also killed in a car crash in Sudbury Road at Little Maplestead in 2007.

Christopher Jolley, of Little Maplestead, Danny Archer, of Sible Hedingham, and Richard Warren, of Halstead, died when the car in which they were travelling a tree. They had been on their way home after stopping for a take-away meal following a fishing trip.

Ms Ridley said Margaret, a former pupil at Hedingham School, used to come in to the Rising Sun with her friends.

She added the tightly-knit group was due to celebrate the 18th birthday of one of Margaret’s friends on Saturday night.

“There is real disbelief that it’s yet another one in the area,” Ms Ridley said. “It’s just one disaster after another. They have been to so many funerals of children of their own age.”