A father has paid tribute to his “naturally beautiful” 16-year-old daughter who died suddenly in 2018, following the conclusion of an inquest into her death.

Ellesse Potter was found by family members in a bedroom in her Haverhill home shortly after Midday on July 18, 2018.

An inquest, which resumed at Suffolk Coroners Court today after being adjourned in December, heard how Ms Potter was “content and well” on the evening before her death.

She had applied fake tan with the help of her mother before later giving her a cuddle, saying that she loved her.

The following morning, her mum’s partner entered her room to find her unresponsive.

Neighbours helped move her to the floor and started CPR however she was pronounced dead by paramedics a short while later.

In a statement read to the court, her father Adam Potter paid tribute to his “gentle” daughter.

The statement said: “She was a very quiet and gentle child. But as a teenager she found her voice.

“Ellesse was a naturally beautiful girl. She loved her pet dogs and showed care and love for all animals.

“Ellesse was a very social girl and loved nothing more than chatting to her friends and meeting up with them to have fun. “Although she was very academic, Ellesse found school difficult and she struggled with her anxiety and depression which led her to be homeschooled.

“Unfortunately Ellesse missed her prom, but if she had been there she would have been the most beautiful belle.

“It has been a tremendous heartache for all the family losing Ellesse especially in such an untimely and tragic way. “Not a day goes by that she is not thought of.”

During the inquest, the court heard how a post-mortem examination was not able to establish a cause of death for Ellesse.

Toxicological reports showed that the 16-year-old had cocaine and buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, in her blood.

However, the examination could not establish whether the drugs caused her death or if Ellesse possibly suffered from an undetected genetic heart problem.

However, concluding the inquest, senior coroner Nigel Parsley said that on the “balance of probabilities” he believed that she died as the result of a drugs related death.