A former private-school headgirl with anorexia died from a overdose of laxatives, an inquest heard today.

Georgia Willson-Pemberton, 26, of Howards Lane, Putney, was the "life and soul of everyone's parties" but developed anorexia in 2007.

She was the headgirl of £29,000-a-year Heathfield private school and was a gold medallist in children's British skiing.

But towards the end of her course in International Marketing at the European Business School she began to lose significant amounts of weight.

Westminster Coroner's Court heard she was in and out of treatment for four years since developing her illness, with periods spent at the Priory, Life Works and centres in the USA.

Towards the end of her life she split her time between her parent's house in Putney and her flat in South Kensington, secretly purchasing vast amounts of laxatives online.

By the end of 2012 she became more withdrawn and in December was admitted to Chelsea and Westminster hospital with stomach pains.

Shortly afterwards she died on December 7 of a suspected overdose on laxatives, which damaged tissue in her bowel and liver.

The inquest heard during some periods Miss Willson-Pemberton would have about 1,000 of the Dulcolax tablets at a time when admitted for treatment, buying them online from a high-street supermarket chain.

Father Robert Willson-Pemberton said he could not understand how her condition deteriorated, given the privileges she had.

Choking back tears, he said: "It was difficult. When she was young she was incredibly intelligent. She was a British girl's ski gold medallist.

"The world was her oyster she could have done anything. She was a great writer, she had fantastic contacts. Her ambitions disappeared when she graduated.

"I said 'Georgia what are you going to do now?' and she had no interest. This disease consumed her, it was all she thought about."

The court heard how Miss Willson-Pemberton was able to use her intellect to trick medical staff, even preventing them from telling her parents when her disease got worse.

Doctors said it was one of the hardest cases of anorexia they ever came across because she was so stubborn.

Coroner Darren Stewart delivered a narrative verdict, concluding Miss Willson-Pemberton died of multiple organ failure as a result of overdosing on laxatives.

He said he would write to the Medicines and Healthcare Regulations Agency and ask them to pass new guidelines on the sale of Dulcolax.

Mr Stewart said: "It does seem odd, given that an individual would be unable to purchase such quantities from a chemist over the counter because it would give rise to concern for their safety, there is no such best practice for online traders."