After catching coronavirus and feeling “locked up,” a “bright” student took her own life, according to her father.

Andy and Anita Bowles, Sinead Bowles’ horrified parents, say she had exhibited no signs of depression or mental health difficulties.

The 21-year-old, who worked as a team leader at Alton Towers, was furloughed during the pandemic and just “put her head down” to focus on her university studies, according to StokeonTrentLive.

Then, only a few days before her death, she went out with friends and contracted Covid.

Her father, Andy, said: “I think her feelings came on quickly. She just felt she’d got Covid and was locked up.

“Like a lot of parents who are in this position, the common denominator is you never expect your child to take that course of action.”

Sinead had recently finished her second year of study at Staffordshire University and wished to pursue a master’s degree at Cambridge.

On July 14, she was discovered dead at her family home in Hanley, Staffordshire.

On Monday, an inquest heard that Sinead’s best friend, Keisha Nichols, who lived next door, rang the alarm after realizing she hadn’t let her dog out.

Earlier that day, Sinead had also sent a worrying text, saying: “I genuinely wish I could go to sleep and not wake up.”

By the time she was found with several ‘goodbye’ notes on her bed, it was too late for paramedics to save her.

Sinead had found an interest in helping to turn round the lives of former prisoners, and was doing a podcast with Keisha, in which they would talk about positive ways to improve mental health.

Sinead’s mum Anita, said: “She also had a passion for Men Unite and helping others.”

After losing her grandparents aged 13, she had “started to focus on life again” in the months leading up to her death, Anita said.

“As part of her university course, she went to visit prisons around the UK, which she loved. She was a natural in talking to people.”

Her parents, who are divorced, said she had been a “shining light in our lives and was loved dearly by her family and many friends”.

Concluding the death was the result of suicide, North Staffordshire senior coroner Andrew Barkley said Covid may have been a factor in what happened, although it was unclear.

The family have raised more than USD 2300 (£1,700) for the charity Young Minds in her memory. Andy scaled Mount Snowdon on Friday and is planning to take on the Three Peaks Challenge next year.