FAMILY and friends, including old pals from St Helens Youth Brass Band, have been paying tribute to nursing student, Andrea Taylor, who was killed in an horrific attack by a crazed bull elephant. The Billinge girl had been on holiday in Thailand with her father and elder sister.

Andrea, 20, was enjoying the last week of an 18-day holiday with her dad, Geoff (53) and sister Helen when tragedy struck. The close-knit family had been enjoying their first holiday together since the girls' mum, Jackie (46) died from cancer three years ago.

The three holidaymakers, who come from School Brow in Billinge, were visiting a show at a private-run tourist attraction in Suan Nongnuch 44 miles from Bangkok, when a bull elephant went berserk.

The elephant grabbed a mahout (elephant driver) from the back of another elephant with its trunk and hurled him to the ground before charging into the crowd.

The elephant gored Andrea, with its tusks and her father and sister were injured whilst trying to pull her to safety.

All three were taken to a hospital in Pattaya where Andrea later died. Helen (23) suffered abdominal injuries, but her injuries are not thought to be life threatening, and Geoff, who retired from his job as a safety officer at Pilkingtons Greengate works in March this year, suffered serious leg injuries.

Geoff's devastated sister, Dot Watkins, who found out about the tragedy through a phone call from the Foreign Office on Tuesday morning, said: "I spoke to Geoff on Tuesday morning and what had actually happened to Andrea still hadn't sunk in. He said that he and the girls had been having a fantastic time on holiday and then this. We're all devastated. You often read about things like this happening, but you never think that it's going to happen to your family. "Andrea was a lovely girl. We saw her just before she went away. She couldn't wait to get over there. She was very popular and had a big circle of friends.

"Andrea played lead trombone for the St Helens Youth Brass Band and then moved on to the Golborne Brass Band. Despite being at university in Huddersfield, Andrea continued to be an active member of the Golborne Brass Band. She really loved music.

"This should have been the holiday of a lifetime for the girls. Geoff had told them that he would take them out to Thailand when he retired, it's so sad that this should have happened. The family were still recovering from Jackie's death three years ago and now this."

Dot added: "Geoff said that the hospital staff in Pattaya have been very good and they've even moved his bed into the intensive care unit so that he can be next to Helen. It's expected that Helen will be in intensive care for another week." Andrea, a former pupil of Upholland High School and Chapel End Junior School was in her second year at Huddersfield University, where she was studying nursing, she was looking forward to celebrating her 21st birthday on July 27 (she shared the same birthday as her dad) with a party at Birchley St Marys club.

Andrea started to play the trombone at the age of eight and just 18 months ago she left the St Helens Youth Brass Band where she was a valued member. Lynda Nicholson, musical director of St Helens Youth Brass Band, said: "We all remember Andrea very fondly. She was a sunny and natural personality and had a very sociable disposition. She was a loyal and valued member of the band for six years, leading the trombone section for two years. Our thoughts are now with her her family at this time.