TRAGIC teenager Aleysha McLoughlin is to have a baby niece named after her, it has been revealed.

Aleysha, who also used the surname Rothwell, had a new £4,000 headstone installed at Tonge Fold cemetery on Thursday night by her close family.

Her mum Gaynor Rothwell said her 18-year-old daughter Karly's baby girl is due in April, about one year on from Aleysha's death.

It has been decided to give the child Aleysha as a middle name, in honour of the 16-year-old girl found hanged at the home of her foster family in Crossdale Road, Breightmet on April 3 this year.

A stunning Brahma blue clout headstone, imported from India, was visited by Mrs Rothwell, Aleysha's stepfather Lee Short, as well as Karly and her two younger sisters Keesha and Rhianna-Lee.

Mrs Rothwell, aged 40, said: "We went down there to take some pictures and arrange the flowers again as they had all been taken off when we swapped them over.

"We made it look nice again, it really stands out.

"We are totally thrilled with it; it's a beautiful headstone for a beautiful girl.

"Her sisters were made up. Aleysha has got an 18-year-old sister who is pregnant and it's going to be a girl.

"She is going to have the middle name Aleysha.

"The baby is due in April, at about the time that Aleysha did what she did."

The headstone reads "Aleysha Rothwell, 'Weesha Woo', Our Special Princess, Sunrise 5/1/1998, Sunset 3/4/2014".

At the bottom reads the message "love really hurts without you".

Mrs Rothwell said the family have struggled to move on despite the time that has elapsed since Aleysha's death.

She added: "We are still just waiting. The inquest is not going to be until March, it is horrible.

"I don't think we will ever come to terms with what has happened. It could have been prevented.

"We are trying to look forward, with the baby on the way, but it is never going to be easy."

A pre-inquest review, held in July, heard that details of abuse Aleysha may have suffered, in 2002, could be revealed at her inquest.

Mrs Rothwell also thanked anyone who donated towards Aleysha's headstone.