A devastated mum told an inquest she believes an 'abusive' ex boyfriend drove her daughter to hang herself while on a family holiday.

Grief-stricken Susan Nicholls, whose daughter Rhianna died in Cyprus, made the claim at the inquest in Torquay today (Thursday, July 5).

Healthcare assistant Rhianna was discovered dead in her hotel room in Iskele by her mum.

The inquest was told 25-year-old Rhianna received ‘relentless contact’ from her ‘abusive’ ex-partner throughout the holiday in March.

Ms Nicholls said she had told her daughter’s former boyfriend, who wasn’t named, to stop pestering her.

‘I found my daughter not long after he sent the last message,’ she said in a statement read out at the inquest.

She alleged: ‘His controlling behaviour pushed my daughter over the edge.

‘I told him to stop contacting her.

‘Nothing can bring her back, but the circumstances could have been different.’

Rhianna, who lived in Highweek Street, Newton Abbot, had been on a trip to the northern part of the island when she died on March 17.

The hearing was told she had been signed off from work with depression and was in the process of moving back to her mum’s house because of her ‘deteriorating mental health.’

South Devon coroner Ian Arrow concluded that Rhianna took her own life.The Samaritans can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can talk to them by calling 116 123, by emailing [email protected] or by visiting www.samaritans.org