'Our daughter dreamed of becoming a teacher, she should not have been left alone'

An aspiring teacher who was tragically found dead in her bedroom at a private mental health unit in Manchester should not have been left alone, a coroner has ruled.

'One-of-a-kind' Leah Taylor was found unresponsive in her room at the Eleanor Hospital, an independent women's mental health facility on Palatine Road in Didsbury, in June last year. She suffered from emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) and had been transferred to the unit last May from an NHS hospital for specialist treatment.

At the time of her death, the 20-year-old, who was detained under the Mental Health Act, was being observed every 15 minutes by staff, an inquest heard. It was during one of these 15-minute periods between checks that she deliberately harmed herself, causing fatal injuries.

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Following the inquest, which was held earlier this month, a jury returned a conclusion of misadventure in but concluded Leah's death was caused or contributed to by decisions made not to increase or enhance her observations. The jury found that she should not have been left alone after a previous self-harming incident just a few minutes earlier.

In light of the conclusion, Leah's heartbroken parents Helen and Paul called for changes to mental health provisions. They said they believed that if her 'care had been managed differently she would still be with us'.

The hospital offered 'sincere condolences' and described Leah's death as an 'unfortunate incident'. In a statement released by their lawyers, Helen and Paul said: "Leah brought so much love and laughter into all our lives.

"She was an inspiration, and she has left a