Coroner probes death of Preston teen, Morgan Iddon, 17, who sought help from NHS the day before she died

Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor was told the much loved student died from hanging and had a history of mental health problems.

Morgan Iddon, aged 17, of Sandy Lane, Preston, was under the care of several agencies at the time of her death.

Mr Taylor said at the opening day of an inquest into Morgan's tragic death that there would be many witnesses and the hearing would focus on the care that Morgan received.

The popular Myerscough College student had received treatment, including residential care and being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, in recent years.

She was found dead on April 5, 2024.

A pathologist gave the cause of death as hanging.

The inquest at County Hall, Preston, started on Friday and is expected to last four days.

Morgan's father Andrew said in a statement that his daughter had suffered from mental health issues. She had intrusive thoughts and there were also threats of suicide.

Kirstie Luxton, team leader of a specialist NHS mental health team, said the team had helped Morgan for the past two years.

Therapy and treatment was recommended and she believed it would not be helpful for Morgan to be "sectioned" again.

On April 3 Morgan attended an appointment with a psychiatrist but the following day - the day before her death - she rang the service in distress.

Ms Luxton said Morgan's remarks were "not unusual" and she felt sure that she would keep herself safe until the next meeting.

Jessica Kelly, team leader of another NHS mental health support team, said the team got a referral relating to Morgan in August 2023.

That referral was not accepted at the time for unknown reasons.

In February 2024 there was another referral, which again was not initially picked up.

It came in the form of an email which was not acted on because of staff on leave and staff sickness.

Two weeks later it was picked up and contact was made with Morgan, who agreed to a home visit.

A colleague met Morgan in person on April 2 - just three days before her premature death.

The teenager was concerned about how she was feeling and talked about self harm.

Ms Kelly said her colleague did not feel there was an "immediate risk" to Morgan.

Asked by the coroner whether she would have preferred her team have seen Morgan earlier, Ms Kelly said: "I don't think it would have made a massive difference."

She described the delay as "unfortunate" and said she often raised staffing issues quite regularly.

After Morgan's death her fellow students at Myerscough College built a hedgehog house in her memory.

A Mysercough College spokseman said: "Morgan Iddon, one of our Level 3 Animal Management students, tragically passed away earlier in the last academic year.

“To honour her memory, she will now be remembered in one of the department’s ongoing habitat projects – making Myerscough’s Bilsborrow centre a ‘Hedgehog Friendly Campus’, for which recently, bronze accreditation was awarded.

“The Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme aims to raise awareness of the plight of hedgehog, while taking practical steps to improve habitats and circumstances for hedgehogs across university campuses. The Hedgehog Friendly Campus project is funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and runs nationally.

“Myerscough College's main centre at Bilsborrow is officially a Hedgehog Friendly Campus. As part of this, students have worked together to create two new hedgehog homes, to assist the animals in their habitat.

“In May, they received their grand opening. Now, in honour of Morgan, one of the hedgehog houses bares a special name plaque offering a permanent way of remembering her.

“The are currently two ‘resident’ hedgehogs on campus, ‘Lee’ and ‘Lottie’, and they’ve been joined recently by two ‘new recruits’, who appear to be enjoying their new environment.”

The hearing will continue on tomorrow.

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