A 22-YEAR-OLD woman hanged herself after watching a Kilroy TV programme, Contacting the Dead, an inquest was told.

Her distraught father, who discovered her body hanging from the loft, said the programme had been the final straw that pushed Shelly Louise Ingleby over the edge.

The inquest heard that Shelly, of Glengreave Avenue, Blackburn, was a bright and popular girl who had completed a degree course in business administration at Blackburn college. After college she had started work for a recruitment company, but had been made redundant after only three weeks.

Her father, Barry Ingleby, said she got another job in November, but this soon turned sour and Shelly told her family she was not being helped by her workmates.

He said: "She worked there for three weeks which were very unhappy for her.

"During this time she became depressed and my wife took her to see the doctor. Up until then she had been a bright and outgoing girl who enjoyed company." Mr Ingleby said on the day of her death his daughter had seemed perfectly happy. He had gone into the living room and Shelly was watching Kilroy.

"I said to Shelly 'What are you watching that rubbish for?' but she did not answer me," said Mr Ingleby. He left the house and when he returned 90 minutes later found Shelly hanging from a rope around her neck.

"We thought we could sort out Shelly's problems as a family," said Mr Ingleby.

"I think that programme was the final straw which pushed her over the edge. It was something that turned her mind."

Recording a verdict of suicide, coroner Andre Rebello said the BBC would have no idea of the state of mind of people watching the programme and there must have been many who were depressed.

Mr Rebello, who had watched a recording of the programme, said: "But for that broadcast it may well be that Shelly would be alive today. It was unfortunate that she was watching that programme on that day."

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