A GIRL described as a ‘brilliant pupil who wanted to work for NASA’ died 12 years later weighing just three and a half stone.

Sara Whitehead starved herself to death, an inquest heard.

The 28-year-old had struggled for years with an anorexia-type eating disorder, which left her ‘grossly emaciated’.

At Westholme School, Sara had achieved 10 A and A* grades in her GCSEs, but when she moved to sixth form she began complaining of stress and left the school in 2004.

Staff paid to tribute to a student with an ‘inquiring mind’.

Coroner Michael Singleton heard for several years Sara had survived purely on baby rice and nutritional supplement drinks, and even went 18 months without leaving her mother’s home in Revidge Road, Blackburn, before she died.

Although she had remained articulate during this period, she had also not bathed or changed her clothes for several years, an inquest at Blackburn Coroner’s Court was told.

The shocking and tragic case brought difficult questions for her GP surgery, as well as her mother, Rosemary Whitehead, who was arrested by police on suspicion of neglect before being released without charge, but the coroner concluded there was no evidence to suggest Sara was unable to give herself adequate nourishment and the only neglect that contributed to her death was self-neglect.

The inquest heard Sara started believing she had problems with her digestive system and a blockage in her oesophagus, but this was rejected by doctors.

She was referred to a psychiatrist in 2005, when there was a suggestion she may be showing signs of schizophrenia, but her case was closed in 2006 when she declined offers of further treatment, the inquest was told.

Several years passed when Sara had little or no contact with health professionals, during which she was not working and her behaviour and diet became more unusual.

At 25 the coroners court was told she refused to eat anything other than baby rice, before switching purely to Complan nutritional drinks.

In early 2012, the inquest heard she attended Montague Practice, at Barbara Castle Way Health Centre, four times complaining of depression, but Mrs Whitehead said this was to obtain a sick note and she did not take the anti-depressants that were provided.

In April 2013, she turned up at Royal Blackburn Hospital complaining that food was ‘burning her insides,’ the inquest heard.

She had not washed for a year, the coroner was told. After this a letter was sent to her GP, asking for her to be referred to a psychiatrist and dietician.

Mr Singleton said it was concerning that this was never pursued, because Sara made no effort to pursue it.

On October 7 last year, the coroner was told Sara was found lying unconscious by her mother. She was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where she fell in and out of consciousness over the next few days, before dying of chronic malnutrition.

Sara was found to have ‘died a natural cause of death that was contributed to by self neglect’.

Mr Singleton added: “She was a very intelligent young lady and clearly strong willed and strong minded.

“ It can be very difficult for healthcare professionals to get behind that.”