Jessica Lawson drowning: Teachers not guilty over girl's death in France

Brenda and Tony Lawson, Jessica's parents, attended the judicial hearing into the 12-year-old's death in France

Three British teachers have been found not guilty of the equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence after a girl drowned on a trip to France.

Jessica Lawson, 12, who attended Wolfreton School near Hull, had been swimming in a lake near Limoges in July 2015 when a plastic pontoon overturned.

Chantelle Lewis, Daisy Stathers and Steven Layne were cleared of any wrongdoing by a judicial hearing.

The lifeguard on duty and the French local authority were also cleared.

The hearing in France was told 24 children, aged 12 to 17, had been swimming when the incident happened and Jessica was found beneath the pontoon. She later died in hospital.

French prosecutors had recommended Ms Lewis, Ms Stathers and Mr Layne, as well as lifeguard Leo Lemaire, be jailed for three years.

(Clockwise from top left) Teachers Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis, Daisy Stathers and lifeguard Leo Lemaire were cleared of wrongdoing

Giving her verdicts through an interpreter to the Palais de Justice in Tulle on Wednesday, the head of jurisdiction, Marie-Sophie Waguette, told the four: "The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green.

"There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over. We don't know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over.

"There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent - therefore you are found not guilty."

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Earlier in proceedings, Ms Waguette said there should have been a minimum of three chains to secure the pontoon, but a picture shown in court displayed only two.

The three teachers had stood accused of failing to comply with risk-evaluation regulations.

However, Ms Waguette said the court believed they "were not under obligation to carry out any specific checks".

She added there was no evidence to suggest the teachers had failed to monitor the activity.

When the verdicts were announced, Jessica's father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom. Both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers broke down in tears.

The schoolgirl's mother, Brenda Lawson, said her family had been through "torturous suffering", describing Jessica as "full of fun, laughter and care".

Speaking outside court, Mr Lemaire, the lifeguard at the scene of the incident, said: "It's been seven years since this happened. During that time I have, of course, thought of her parents and what happened.

"And today, I think, it was the moment for everyone to move on and try to move forward with their lives."