The headteacher of the youngest victim of the Manchester bombing described the devastation and horror that fell over the school in the aftermath of her death.
Saffie-Rose Roussos was a pupil at Tarleton Primary School when she became the youngest victim of the Manchester bombing terrorist attack in 2017.
The school's headteacher Chris Upton has now spoken candidly to the ECHO about how the school managed in the aftermath of the tragic event that rocked the small community.
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Mr Upton, 41, told the ECHO he will never forget the moment he first heard Saffie-Rose had been killed in the attack when a staff member came into his office in floods of tears.
Until that moment he knew she was missing - but he admits he believed the "fake news" that the eight-year-old was at the Holiday Inn in Chester.
Mr Upton said he was "devastated" when he first heard the news and describes seeing colleagues breaking down.
He said: "We were devastated and in shock - I was in a room full of colleagues with lots of people crying and falling apart.
"I just couldn't believe she was dead - I believed the fake news which sounds ridiculous now.
"My next thoughts were with the family and then it went to all the children.
"I couldn't stop thinking about how we were going to get through this."
Mr Upton said Saffie-Rose was very popular at school and fondly remembers when he saw her in brass lessons playing a trombone the same size of herself.
He said: "She was a popular little girl and everyone would have a kind word to say about her.
"She was shy at school which was strange as she was so outgoing when dressing up and roleplaying with her friends.
"She was very strong at gymnastics and did brass lessons.
"She was always looking to learn - she was a role model for everyone."
Mr Upton said the biggest challenge he immediately faced was how do you tell the children their friend had been killed.
He praised the actions of the teachers in helping deal with the aftermath - even though they all were grieving as well.
He said: "They went to work supporting the children even though many of them were struggling themselves.
"As you can imagine that was incredibly tough - but they all did an amazing job and were so strong for the children.
"We're a tight-knit community in a rural school.
"The fact we were so close was a blessing as it meant we were really close and supported each other throughout the ordeal.
"The staff put aside their own feelings to help the children through the devastation they were experiencing."
A pressure Mr Upton didn't expect to have to deal with was press intrusion following Saffie-Rose's death.
News outlets from all over the world called the school and camped outside its gates waiting to try and get a story from anyone who walked past.
Mr Upton recalls a pupil asking him why he couldn't ask the people outside the gates to go away, to which he sadly replied he couldn't.
As the years passed the children who were the same age as Saffie-Rose left to move to senior schools which presented another challenge for the staff as they prepared them for the transition.
He added the school has been impacted once again with the new information that came out in the inquest over survivability claims.
He said it was "an unprecedented and awful situation that he didn't think he'd have to experience again".
Mr Upton has supported the family throughout the ordeal - and gave the eulogy for Saffie-Rose at Manchester Cathedral.
He said: "We've always had a close relationship to be honest.
"I visited the family when I could following Saffie-Rose's death and gave the eulogy at her funeral.
"That was incredibly difficult as I was battling my emotions but didn't want to let anyone down.
"I was representing the family, my staff, the children and my community.
"I've remained in contact with the family ever since."
Mr Upton has now spoken about how the school managed in the aftermath of the tragic event ahead of the release of a book he's written - with the support of Saffie-Rose's family.
The book details how the school managed in the months and years following the attack - with all profits going to a new charity started by Mr Upton called Sparkle Bean.
The charity will support schools with tight budgets to give them the opportunity to support their children and local communities.
Mr Upton said: "We were pretty much on our own so want to ensure other people will never feel on our own.
"We want to continue the memory of Saffie-Rose forever - and if we can help other schools and children in her name then that's amazing."
Mr Upton's book will be out on March 2 and the charity's details can be found here.
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