An emotional remembrance service has been held on the Greek island of Kos for Shropshire schoolgirl Charlotte Hartey, who died after her tonsillitis was diagnosed as swine flu.

The 16-year-old’s family has a home on the island and a traditional Greek service was held yesterday morning at a church on the island.

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Her father Karl Hartey, of Quinta, Weston Rhyn, near Oswestry, said: “It was a traditional service in both Greek and English, using holy water and incense, to bless a picture of Charlotte.

“There were white roses and a holy cake with a cross on it. The service was of prayers and psalms and a reading.

“In attendance were 20 friends representing six families who have known Charlotte since she was a six-month-old baby, until they last saw her in June.

“We have a family home on the island which our friends helped us to build in 2005.

“Our best friend Kosta Lavgulis organised the service, with a priest from Holland. Afterwards there was a blessing and eating traditional Greek cake.”

Mr Hartey said the family’s campaign to stop over-the-phone swine flu diagnosis was continuing.

Oswestry School pupil Charlotte was diagnosed by phone by a GP as having swine flu and prescribed Tamiflu. But the teenager fell ill and died at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on July 31.

Her family was told she had tonsillitis and never had swine flu, although further tests are being carried out.

A Facebook petition calling for an end to over-the-phone diagnosis now has more than 5,000 signatures.

Written petitions have be- en distributed around Oswestry and family members have set up 65 places in Mid Wales to sign the petition.

A Youtube video about Charlotte has had more than 400 direct viewings.

Mr Hartey said: “I also did a live radio interview for BBC Radio London with Gaby Roslin for 10 minutes talking about how Charlotte was misdiagnosed by local doctors and how this res- ulted in Charlotte dying.”

Mr Hartey said he would deliver the petition to Gordon Brown at Downing Street after MPs’ summer recess.

By Iain St John