Woman left apology for her St Paul’s death plunge

A TALENTED student left a note apologising to visitors who saw her 100ft death plunge at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Lidia Dragescu, 23, was clutching the message when she fell from the Whispering Gallery inside the dome.

The devout Christian, who regularly worshipped at the cathedral, was carrying a second note for her family, apologising and thanking them for their love.

Miss Dragescu, pictured, who came to London from Romania five years ago with her mother and brothers, completed a business degree before starting biomedical studies last month. She wanted to be a brain surgeon.

In the letter to cathedral visitors, she said: ‘To those who saw me like this, I am sorry. People should not see dead bodies when coming here. I’m sorry for showing you this ugly sight. Please go and be happy about your lives.’

Her mother, Isabela, 44, said: ‘She went to St Paul’s at least once a week, we would go together every Sunday. She would go there by herself when she wasn’t happy. It was her favourite place in the city.’

Her family thought she was heading off to study when she took a bus from her home in Romford, East London, to the cathedral last Wednesday.

Miss Dragescu’s parents divorced when she was a teenager and her construction worker father lives in Bucharest.

The rest of the family came to London and Miss Dragescu completed a business degree at the London campus of Ulster University. She then began studying medicine at the University of East London.

‘I have lost my best friend, I don’t have any tears left,’ Mrs Dragescu said. ‘I just want her back.’

Miss Dragescu had a twin brother Vlad and a younger brother Gabriel, 16.

City of London Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.