Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Jean Flaherty, said: “We are absolutely devastated by the death of Brianna and know that Warrington’s communities are sharing in the same sense of grief and sorrow.

“The trans flag is flying at half-mast this afternoon in her memory.

“It is important to note that while Cheshire Police continues to explore all lines of enquiry, including whether this was a hate crime, we know that our LGBTQ+ community may feel particularly distressed by what has happened.”