Tributes left to Dee Anderson at Leybourne Lakes

A woman drowned herself at the same spot where her partner had died a few weeks before, an inquest heard.

Darelle Anderson, who was known as Dee, died at Leybourne Lakes on October 16 last year, where her partner, Brian, with whom she had a baby daughter, had died in August.

A photograph of the couple together was among items recovered from the scene.

The inquest on Tuesday heard Ms Anderson had been an energetic and bubbly person before Mr Anderson's death, but afterwards became depressed and talked of wanting to join him.

Her friend, Sally Martin, told the court: "She had no interest in doing anything. She didn't want to take the kids out; she didn't want to do anything.

"She used to ask funny questions and said things like 'I want to be with Brian'. I just kept saying 'We can get through it'."

She had also attempted an overdose a few weeks after his death.

Miss Martin became a carer for Ms Anderson’s four children, through an arrangement with social services - but on October 16 Ms Anderson was reported missing and her body was found in the lake at 11pm.

A letter to Miss Martin from Ms Anderson, found after her death included details of what to do with her ashes.

A post mortem found Ms Anderson had died from immersion, and had taken a lethal dose of the sedative Zopiclone.

Recording a verdict that she had taken her own life, Mid Kent and Medway coroner Roger Sykes said: "It is a very, very sad case."