A 16-year-old girl who died after being found unconscious in a street in Leeds was stabbed in the back, it has emerged.

The victim, who has been named locally as Chloe Watson, died after she was found unresponsive in the Austhorpe suburb of the city.

She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries but died shortly afterwards.

A neighbour has described how he and other residents desperately tried to save her life.

Wayne Mallows said he was called out of his house early on Saturday morning by a dog walker, who told him that his neighbour was outside doing CPR on a young girl.

Chloe suffered serious injuries after being stabbed, reportedly in a row over a boyChloe suffered serious injuries after being stabbed, reportedly in a row over a boy. Picture: Chloe Watson/Facebook

“I asked if they’d rung an ambulance and then I realised that a phone was on the ground and he had it on loudspeaker. Ambulance control were giving him instructions.

“I took over until the ambulance arrived 10 minutes later. She had been stabbed in the back and there was quite a bit of blood. Her eyes were just blank.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up by her cousin Shantelle which claims that Chloe’s “whole life was taken in a flash over a boy.”

“16 years young (she) didn’t even make it to her 18th,” Shantelle said.

“Her mum is distraught, she has left two younger siblings behind…she didn’t deserve this. She was so full of life, such an innocent, beautiful soul taken too soon.”

Four teenagers – two girls aged 18 and two boys aged 17 and 19 – have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Tributes to Chloe have been posted online.

One person wrote: “Your bubbly personality, your weird laugh, your cringy jokes will forever be unmatched. You always made sure everyone was feeling litty and loved…it’s truly devastating.”

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Marc Bowes, said: “Following our appeal for further information yesterday, we have now identified the deceased as a 16-year-old girl from the Cleckheaton area.

“Her family have been informed and we are supporting them as they try to come to terms with what has happened.

“Our inquiries into the incident which led to her death are continuing, and I would appeal again to anyone who was in the Kennerleigh Avenue area in the early hours of yesterday morning to come forward if they have any information which could assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, or use the live chat options at westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat, quoting log 280 of March 28.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online