THE UNCLE of a young woman who was found dead in woodland has described her as “bright and bubbly” with an “infectious laugh”.

Amy Springer, 20, was found dead in woods near Portslade cricket club in Benfield Valley, Portslade on March 21.

At an inquest at Woodvale Coroner’s Court in Brighton, assistant coroner Dr Karen Henderson recorded a verdict of suicide.

Speaking to The Argus, Timothy Roberts said he will “always remember” his niece’s “infectious laugh”.

He said: “Amy was so bright and bubbly when she was in good form. When she laughed, everyone laughed with her because they couldn’t help it.

“Her laughter was infectious. She had to battle with issues from her past and against her own mind, which made life very difficult for her.

“But when she was able, she’d always come back smiling.”

The coroner described Amy’s death as a tragedy and said she was suffering from “very severe and life-limiting trauma” which stemmed from her childhood and the death of her older brother David at the age of six.

Amy had been given several diagnoses throughout her life, including autism, emotionally unstable personality disorder and complex PTSD.

In a statement read at the hearing, Timothy described his niece as having a “great sense of humour” with a passion for walking and listening to music.

He said: “Amy’s favourite things were clothes. She loved trainers and tracksuits and she had a big collection.

“As a young girl, he was very girly but as she got older, she became more ‘indie’ in style.

He added: “Despite her learning difficulties, she could be very loving and had a talent for recognising the emotions of other people.”

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