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Teenager Phoebe Connop took her own life in fear of the reaction over a leaked photo.

Trigger warning: This post deals with suicide. 

A teenage girl has taken her own life after expressing fears a photo she manipulated would label her a racist.

Phoebe Connop, 16, from Halesowen in the UK, doctored an image of herself with darkened skin and wearing a headscarf.

The Sun reported the teen had told friends her modified appearance would be the only way she’d win approval from her new boyfriend’s parents.

The boyfriend was a man of Asian descent who Connop was yet to meet.

The image was shared in a private Instagram chat with friends before it was later leaked online.

Source: Facebook.

The tragic death was discovered by Connop's father Laurence who was said to have come home expecting to take his daughter out for a meal.

Black Country Coroners court heard the 16-year-old had been working with her 53-year-old father to raise money for a summer holiday.

Laurence told the inquest there were no indications of her motives in the weeks leading up to her death.

“She was a lovely girl who would never want to cause offence to anyone," he said. “She had shown me no indication in the weeks leading up to her death that there was anything wrong, let alone anything that would lead her to do this."

Source: Facebook.

West Midlands Police Detective Sergeant Katherine Tomkins told the inquest police had surmised the image was linked to her mental state.

“From speaking to her friends in the weeks following her death, we discovered that the image had circulated further than she wanted it to," she said.

“There had been some negative reaction and she confided in her friend, who did take the image down at her request, that she was scared of what the reaction might be from the Asian community in her area.”

The inquest heard the young girl was a talented gymnast who dreamed of becoming a midwife.

There has been an outpouring of grief from the young girl's school and greater community.

An area in the school's garden has become a memorial for the young teen and a place for friends to pay respects.

If this post brings up issues for you, or you just need someone to talk to, please call Lifeline on 131 114. You can also visit the Lifeline website here and the Beyond Blue website here.