A UNIVERSITY student took her own life, an inquest has heard.

Lauren Carmichael was found dead at Town Park in Runcorn on August 5, aged just 22.

She had been reported missing the previous day, when she last contacted friends and family.

Paying tribute, Lauren’s mother Lorraine Oates described her as a “beautiful, brave, intelligent” girl.

She said: “My heart is broken, the light has left my life.

“I gave birth to her and love her with every single fibre of my body.

“My girl gave me life, she gave me a reason to be, a reason to want the best for us.

“She awoke a part of me that I never knew existed or ever thought could be.

“She was my saviour, my beginning.

“My girl never failed to make me laugh, her humour was just wasted, she should have been on stage, at times she did not even know how funny she was.

“That's the thing you see, she never knew, how beautiful, how intelligent, how worthy of everything she was. I wish she saw what I could see.”

Lauren was born in Liverpool on February 13, 2001.

She attended Priestley College before going on to study at York St John University.

It is understood she had recently graduated and was in the process of applying for her master's degree

A written inquest into her death was heard at Warrington Coroner’s Court on Wednesday (October 18).

The inquest, completed by Elizabeth Wheeler, concluded that Lauren’s death was suicide.#

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, or you are struggling with your mental health, help is available.

Please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org

For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice please contact PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org