Jennifer Watkins, 25, hanged herself just a day after telling parents she 'wanted to end it'.

Stephen and Elizabeth Watkins, from Gosport, said their daughter took her own life following a series of tormenting text messages from a gloating love rival.

Mr Watkins said one of the messages read: 'I'm sleeping with your boyfriend, you are just a waste of space, why don't you end it?'

The parents say action should now be taken against the woman, who wasn't named in the proceedings.

Mrs Watkins, who lives with her husband onboard a boat in Haslar Marina, Gosport, tearfully told the inquest: 'I'm sure the one reason she went over the boundaries of her strength of character was because of this girl.

'I feel something has to be done about this girl.

'I don't know what to do about it and what channels to go through.'

Jennifer had just split from a long-term boyfriend, who had left her for one of her close friends.

The young sales representative called her parents on February 17, saying she wanted to take her own life.

The following day she was discovered hanging from an electric cable at her home in Kennington, south London.

Mr Watkins told Southwark Coroner's Court that he and his wife had tried to persuade her to come home to them.

He said: 'We'd had a few conversations with Jennifer and she was very upset that her relationship was breaking up – she still loved her ex-boyfriend dearly.

'She was very distressed and said "I can't take it any more, I just want to end it".'

Jennifer's parents called police and asked them to check on their daughter, but when officers and ambulance crews arrived, she sent them away.

Mr and Mrs Watkins tried unsuccessfully to persuade their daughter to return to their houseboat that evening, and Jennifer agreed to come to Gosport the next day, but failed to turn up.

A neighbour, concerned after hearing a scratched CD repeating over and over again in the flat, called the emergency services.

When police arrived, Jennifer was already dead.

The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.