A STUDENT who died at a Worcester college had previously "stockpiled" medication - an inquest heard.

17 year-old Harmony Scott died while attending and living at New College Worcester.

The teenager, who had "complex" health and needs, had been studying at the specialist school after a previous placement in Derby was not able to meet her needs properly.

The inquest heard how Miss Scott, originally from London, had attempted to take an overdose in 2018, and that her mother had found a "stockpile" of medication boxes in her college bag in early 2019.

However, how Miss Scott died - in May 2019 - was not outlined in the inquest, although further witness testimony is scheduled for the rest of this week.

An inquest into her death was originally opened back in September 2019, but witness testimony could not be heard until August 23 this year.

Giving evidence via video-link, Deborah Dyer, who had previously been a support worker with Miss Scott, said she had been told of a previous overdose from 2018.

She said: "I was aware of her previous self-harm and overdose attempts."

Most of the questioning in Mrs Dyer's testimony concerned whether there should have been a renewed risk-assessment on Miss Scott, with the most recent being from November 2018.

Speaking on behalf of Miss Scott's parents, Christopher Johnson asked Mrs Dyer if she thought there should have been a new risk assessment, given the news of another medication stockpile being found in Miss Scott's room earlier that year.

In reply, she said the existing risk assessment contained provisions for room searches and for staff at New College to be aware of Miss Scott's whereabouts at all times.

Mrs Dyer added in her discussions with the college, the 17 year-old was said to have made "very good progress" and was planning to start a degree at Derby University the following September.

She said she felt the risk had raised since the discovery of the medication and that she felt this needed to be raised by the "appropriate agency" and that "there needed to be a re-assessment".

Mrs Dyer said she had a scheduled meeting in April 2019, just before Miss Scott's death, with her father, where the two discussed concerns raised about the stockpiling.

She went on to hold an emotional wellbeing discussion with Miss Scott, where she admitted stockpiling but in relation to a previous overdose attempt in 2018 rather than the 2019 discovery of the stashed pills.

She added: "She said she had no medication at college, where they did regular room searches.

"She was concerned about how it would impact on her going back to college.

"She reported she was not planning any more overdoses and we discussed plans for dealing with low moods.

"I felt assured by this that she was making plans for the future - there was no sense of a low mood or concerns for her emotional wellbeing. It was all quite positive."

The inquest continues.