A TALENTED jazz singer took her own life after convincing herself she was suffering from an undiagnosed terminal illness.

An inquest heard singer and actress Hannah Northedge, who starred in films alongside Elijah Wood and John Hurt, had a rapidly escalating mental illness in the months before she disappeared from her home.

She was discovered at the foot of cliffs at Beachy Head.

An exhaustive report compiled by her GP detailed extensive medical visits and tests carried out over a number of years.

Senior coroner for East Sussex Alan Craze told the inquest the level of care she had received from the NHS had been exceptional.

He said the 43-year-old had convinced herself she was suffering from a terminal illness despite repeated reassurances from her doctors and specialists.

“She clearly was suffering from a rapidly increasing mental disorder with an inability to accept the physical evidence there wasn’t anything wrong with her,” he said.

In a note written on a referral letter from a psychiatric unit, she wrote; “Imagine how terrifying this is for me.

“Having the psychiatric team telling me to prove my symptoms are real.

“I don’t have a psychiatric illness, end of.”

The inquest heard she suffered from chronic stress resulting from violence in the family home and had found it difficult to open up to a therapist.

The classically trained singer, from south east London, studied at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and performed at the Royal Albert Hall and for the Queen.

The coroner’s court at Eastbourne heard years tests for various physical ailments had all proved negative.

Former partner Graham Parker said after the inquest: “She was an intelligent, talented woman. This was a very tragic end to her life.”

Her elderly parents could not make the journey from the family home in Leicestershire, he said.

Following a final home visit, three days before her body was found, GP Dr Victoria Mayheew reported Ms Northedge complained of a longer list than ever before of physical symptoms.

“She said she didn’t think she had depression,” the GP reported. “She felt stuck. She asked for a whole body scan if blood tests came back normal.”

The doctor tried again to convince the singer to consider starting a treatment of anti depressants.

“She didn’t wish to discuss her mental health,” the doctor wrote. “She wanted her mother to take her to a hospice for palliative care.”

The inquest heard she left her home and travelled to Eastbourne where she checked into a hotel.

She stayed one night in the Grand Hotel and booked in for a second night.

A final card transaction was recorded at the Tiger Inn, Eastbourne, on May 2, 2018.

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple injuries, consistent with a fall from height.

Her body was discovered at the foot of cliffs at Beachy Head.

She had suffered a large amount of catastrophic injuries, the inquest heard.

No drugs or alcohol were present.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Craze said: “For the comfort of the people left behind, it is abundantly clear the assistance she received was absolutely first class.

“It is clear what had gone wrong in her mind.”