A TEENAGER has died after falling five floors from a balcony while he was on holiday in Switzerland.

Edd Brierley, 17, of The Green, Osbaldeston, plunged from a hotel in Interlaken.

He was airlifted to a nearby hospital but never regained consciousness.

Edd's parents John and Liz immediately donated his organs to give a gift of life to others.

An investigation is underway by Swiss police to find out how the accident happened.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Edd's parents witnessed their son's fall.

Mr Brierley said: "My wife and I had travelled to Switzerland earlier and Edd joined us for his summer holidays.

"He had been with us just over two weeks when he slipped and fell from the flat roof below his fifth floor studio window. He never regained consciousness."

Interlaken is one of Switzerland's most popular tourist resorts and is famous for its views of the Eiger.

The teenager's body has been flown home for a funeral service at St Mary's Church, Mellor, today .

An inquest was opened in Blackburn and adjourned until October 24 pending further inquiries.

Mr Brierley said he and his wife had immediately donated many of their son's organs for transplant surgery to save others.

He said: "Any gifts made in Edd's memory will go towards raising awareness of the need for organ donation."

The teenager, who was born in Whalley, spent four years at St Mary's Primary School, Mellor, before moving to Malsis Preparatory School in Crosshills, North Yorkshire.

At 13 he went to Uppingham School in Rutland , where his father was an old boy.

He achieved 10 GCSEs last summer and was studying biology, chemistry, French and PE at A-level.

Edd was a keen sportsman and enjoyed hockey, swimming, athletics and skiing.

Until last year his father John worked as a childrenswear manufacturer. He worked initially at family firm SER Brierley, Blackburn, and subsequently in Accrington at Mad Hatter Children's Wear.

His mother Liz worked part-time as a nurse at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Edd's sister, Gemma, has just completed her first year studying medicine at Cambridge University.

Mr Brierley said: "We want to thank everyone for their kind words and for their love and support. We have wonderful memories of Edd which we will always treasure."

Donations in memory of Edd can be made to the Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals NHS Trust Charitable Funds (Transplants).