A young woman died after taking an overdose of prescription drugs, an inquest heard yesterday.

The inquest, in Durham, heard that Claire Barnes, 23, of Berwick Close, Peterlee, County Durham, had previously suffered from depression and had tried to harm herself on several occasions.

But recently, she restarted a college course and seemed to be recovering.

However, last November, she began showing new signs of problems.

And after a night out with her father, on December 3, her mother, Sheila, said Claire became upset.

"She was crying, and didn't really give any explanation," she said. "She said she was sick of being who she was."

The following day, Claire was found dead at her home after taking 100 times the recommended dose of drugs prescribed for her depression.

Delivering an open verdict, North Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle described Claire as a bright, bubbly young girl.

He said: "I'm not convinced she intended to take her own life."