A fresh investigation has been launched into a teenage East Sussex girl's death after surgery to remove a huge hairball from her stomach.

Rachel Haigh, 17, of Quebec Road, St Leonards, died from internal bleeding on New Year's Day 1999.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has now asked to see all relevant case notes before deciding if any further action will be taken.

Rachel, who had chewed her hair since childhood, had built up a hairball the size of a rugby ball in her stomach and underwent an operation to remove it on December 31, 1998, at the Conquest Hospital, Hastings, after complaining about stomach pains.

She died the following day after suffering a massive internal haemorrhage.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded at an inquest into Rachel's death.

Coroner Alan Craze said at the time: "This (chewing her hair) was something she was doing from time to time and by habit, maybe for comfort.

"She would have had the impression, if she had thought about it, that it was passing through her system. But unfortunately it was not and had built up to a massive size in her abdomen."

Despite the verdict, bosses at East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust admitted care on the night of her death was below standard and made an out of court compensation settlement of £15,000 to Rachel's mother, Norma.

A spokesman for the trust said today: "Our deepest sympathies go to the family of Rachel Haigh.

"This was a highly unusual case and the circumstances leading up to Rachel's death were thoroughly investigated by the coroner at the time who concluded her accidental death.

"The care given to Rachel on the night prior to her death was below the standards we would have expected for a patient in her condition. As a result, the trust has paid compensation to the family but we fully appreciate money can never fully compensate them for the loss of their daughter."

The spokesman said the actions of surgeon John Lyttle had been investigated by the GMC and the Royal College of Surgeons and he had been completely exonerated.

However, two independent reports carried out by surgical experts from Great Ormond Street and Middlesex Hospital concluded Rachel would probably have recovered if the haemorrhage had been spotted and treated earlier.

The GMC will look again at Mr Lyttle's involvement and decide if further action is necessary.

A spokeswoman for the GMC could not comment on the case but said the surgeon had no restrictions on his registration.