Accrington Arndale suicide plunge: Teen endured years of 'horrendous' bullying

Lauren Johnson, 17, was fatally injured after plunging from the sixth floor of the car park, in Union Street, in June.

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Her inquest yesterday also heard that bosses at the Arndale will now fence off its ledges after five deaths in five years.

The top deck will also remain closed indefinitely.

Lauren's death has already prompted the launch of a charity in her memory, Lauren's Place, to help young people with mental health issues, as well as a petition and protest march supported by thousands calling for action by the Arndale Centre to 'make it safe or knock it down'.

Lauren, who lived in Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle, had been admitted to hospital several times after previous attempts to kill herself, the court was told.

Speaking after coroner Michael Singleton ruled her death a suicide, Lauren's devastated mum Dawn said: "She was badly bullied and never told us. That's what broke her really.

"It came out when she was admitted to hospital when she was already ill.

"Lauren had three years of horrendous experiences of mental health problems, being subjected to things she should never have been subjected to, and ended up taking her own life.

"One of the major contributing factors was being bullied. She would never say what was done to her or said to her because it hurt her so much."

The inquest, held at Accrington Town Hall, heard the Burnley-born teen had been found on railway tracks in the past, overdosed, cut herself, and spoke about how she found the idea of suicide 'comforting'.

Mum Dawn, who has been a mental health nurse for almost 20 years, said Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School student Lauren initially showed signs of social anxiety in 2011 before showing signs of psychosis.

Medics later said she had a personality disorder.

She was discharged from hospital in Chorley shortly before her death, and left a suicide note on her laptop, the court heard.

Mr Singleton said: "In the notes she leaves she makes great play of the fact that her diagnosis seems to change to a personality disorder.

"What she seems to be suggesting is that the last meeting with Dr Adam Joiner effectively meant, in her mind, was all the problems were within, and if she was not capable of dealing with them, no-one else was."

In a statement, Dr Joiner said he saw Lauren six days before she died.

He said: "She was wearing make up and fashionable clothing, and seemed happy. She seemed interested in the reform of her diagnosis and we discussed how treatment and recovery were possible.

"She explained she did not enjoy her recent hospital admission in an adult ward and her intention to avoid further admissions."

Her mental health worker Carla Nightingale said: "Lauren had the intelligence to be able to work out what people wanted her to say and project that image."

Dawn told the court: "She was discharged one and a half weeks before her death. She seemed very much the same — unpredictable."

The morning she died, Lauren, who worked at Accrington store C’Quinz, had an interview to work as a volunteer at Burnley hospital, but instead made her way to the car park.

PC Graham Walsh told the court he tried to talk Lauren down from the ledge for 30 minutes.

He said: "She said the only reason she had not already jumped was because she did not think it was high enough.

"She was right on the edge. I pleaded with her and said she had so much to live for."

Director at Arndale owner Jesta Group, David Berman, told the inquest work to stop access to its ledges would be completed by the end of the year.

He said lighting and CCTV cameras had been improved, and security had been beefed up after a 'significant increase' in the number of people trying to jump off the car park following Lauren's death.

The centre is also working closely with the Samaritans, he added Nobody could be reached at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School for comment at the time of going to print yesterday.