17 year-old girl took her own life 'because lockdown felt like 300 years'

A talented teenager took her own life because the thought of three months in lockdown felt like "300 years", her heartbroken family has claimed.

The grieving parents of Beth Palmer have spoken about their tragic loss to warn other parents that their children will face dark days during these uncertain times.

Beth Palmer, described as a "wonderful daughter" who had "the world at her feet", died after she became obsessed about the current clampdown fearing it would never end.

The 17-year-old, who was studying to be a vocal artist, was found dead at her home in Sale, Greater Manchester, just days after the coronavirus lockdown came into force in the UK.

Her "devastated" family say there was no indication she was struggling with her mental health, other than that she'd expressed sadness and frustration about not being able to see friends or go to college.

Beth's grieving dad Mike Palmer said:

I have no doubt the lockdown has played a major part in Beth's death. She couldn't finish college, she couldn't go out and see her friends. She felt as though this three-month lockdown was to her 300 years.

This three-month lockdown I think became an extreme, almost obsessive obsession, that it was never going to end.

Beth was a student at Access Creative College in Manchester and had gained a reputation as a talented singer and musician after regularly performing at local pubs.

Mike and Beth's mother Helen are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that took place at the end of March.

Speaking to ITV's Granada Reports they said they feared there will be other teenagers and young people struggling with the imposed isolation and change to their lives, and are desperate to raise awareness of Beth's story to dissuade others from following the same path.

The devastation is indescribable. It saddens me to say but I don't think she'll be alone, I think they'll be other young adults, teenagers feeling exactly the same, feeling very vulnerable, maybe very scared about the covid-19 situation, having their lives changed, said Mike.

I'd hate to think of another family going through what we're going through now. Even if it puts one child off taking their own life, hopefully no-one should feel isolated enough to do this.

A Justgiving page has been set up in memory of Beth - the family hope to use it to start a charitable trust in her name, which has already raised more than £10,000.