A 16-year-old girl is facing life behind bars after being convicted of murdering a teenager with an Afro comb.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 15 when she attacked Julie Sheriff's head with the comb's metal handle in Battersea, last May.

The Old Bailey heard the teenager had pulled the comb from her handbag and struck Miss Sheriff, with the tip of the comb penetrating deep into her brain.

Miss Sheriff, 16, who was originally from Sierra Leone, was in a coma for nearly five months before she died on September 21, from the brain injury.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, said: "The reckless actions of a girl, 15-years-old at the time, has devastated a family and taken a young life.

"Our thoughts remain with Julie's family at this difficult time."

The teenager was remanded in custody for sentencing on August 28.