THE INVESTIGATION into the death of a young girl who died at a service station off the M40 has been postponed because of a ‘conflict of interest’.

Willow Du Plooy, 21, was described as a ‘misunderstood, kind, loving and caring’ by her heartbroken family in tributes last year.

Thames Valley Police officers desperately tried to find the 21-year-old after she went missing on November 28 – taking to social media to ask anybody who saw her to call 999.

But in a tragic update the next morning, detectives confirmed they had found her body at Cherwell Valley Services.

In tributes left on her JustGivingPage, Willow’s family described her lengthy battle with her mental health.

“On the face of it,” Willow was “just a normal young lady,” her dad Leon Du Plooy explained.

But under the surface she was “battling demons beyond anyone’s comprehension”.

She had only been diagnosed with Emotional Personality Disorder (EPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) after “blaming herself” for years about her struggles.

The investigation into her death was meant to begin at Oxford Coroner’s Court on Wednesday afternoon but Sonia Hayes, the assistant coroner for Oxfordshire, said it couldn’t go ahead.

It is because she has previously worked as a barrister at Partnerships in Care, now known as Elysium, which provides mental health and social care services where Willow had been treated.

Ms Hayes said she was going to “bow out” and refer the case to the senior coroner for another hearing.

The date for that hearing has not been set.  

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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