Police are continuing to question a boy (15) after a popular teacher was stabbed to death during a lesson at a school in the English city of Leeds.

Pupils and staff have been paying tribute to Spanish teacher Anne Maguire (61) who was fatally injured at Corpus Christi Catholic College. And she has been remembered at a service in the neighbouring Corpus Christi Church.

Parish priest Paul Fisher said "Today we pray for the light of hope: hope for ourselves that eventually we will come to terms with what has happened. We offer prayer too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did".

It came after hundreds crammed into the pews of the church on Monday night to pay their respects to Mrs. Maguire, who had taught at the school for more than 40 years.

Teenagers hugged each other and some lit candles as they wiped away tears. Outside, scores more gathered around hundreds of floral tributes placed at the school gates.

Photographs, teddies and other items of memorabilia have been pinned to the railings. The school has opened today to allow staff and students to remember Mrs. Maguire and support each other.

Monsignor John Wilson of Leeds Diocese said "I know that there are plans during the day today in school for staff to get together and also for pupils to get together for acts of remembrance, and for them to get together and just support each other at this terrible time".

Officers were called to the school just before noon yesterday after a report a member of staff had been stabbed. A knife was recovered from the scene.

Around 30 pupils witnessed Mrs. Maguire, who is believed have two grown-up daughters, being stabbed repeatedly in class. Some reported hearing screams as other members of staff rushed to her classroom and restrained her attacker.

Her death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom. Head teacher Philip Lawrence was murdered outside a school in London in 1995, when he went to help a pupil who was being attacked.

A recent investigation revealed almost 1,000 pupils at UK were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years.

One of the notes left with the flowers at the school in Leeds said "You inspired countless generations. You taught four generations of our family and you were simply a totally fantastic teacher, always caring and always there to make us smile (even if you were speaking Spanish)".

Former pupil Kerrianne Ayward (17) said "She was just lovely. She was helpful and caring and you could have a laugh with her. She was always there for you, even if she didn't know you very well. No one had a bad word for her - I mean no one".

Pupil Georgina Kilroy (16) said "I don't know anyone who didn't like her. She was spot on. You couldn't ask for a better teacher".

As she was laying flowers, former pupil Aine Arnold said "It's more like losing a family member than losing a teacher. She was just lovely. She was wonderful. I am devastated".

These current and former pupils are among those paying tribute.