FRIENDS of a teenager found dead in woodland earlier this week have launched a fundraising campaign.

The body of 19-year-old Alicia Sidebotham, from Atherton, was discovered in a wooded area off Broadway in Over Hulton.

Police say there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and an inquest is expected to be opened and adjourned early next week.

An online fundraising page has been created for her family, aiming to raise £5,000 in donations. The total currently stands at over £300.

Friends have also been paying tribute to Ms Sidebotham. Dionne Spencer says she became her best friend after the pair met two years ago.

Ms Spencer said: “She was suffering with this darkness but she was the light for so many people. She helped me through some of my darkest times.

“She was witty and beautiful and funny and so intellectual and without her the world feels duller.”

People have since taken to social media to pay tribute to Alicia. Her Facebook profile has been turned into a remembrance page.

Bosses at the Indiependence nightclub in Wigan said: “We are all devastated to hear about Alicia. She was one of our most regular and most loved customers. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”

Venue DJ Dave Sweetmore said: “She was there every week, she was a really nice, popular girl. She loved the club, everybody seemed to know her. People thought the world of her. She had a great set of friends, she was very well-liked."

He added: “She always asked for good music, she was a big fan of The Beatles and The Who. She was into cool, older music.”

Ms Sidebotham, who worked at WHSmith, posted about her struggles with her mental health on social media.

In November, Ms Sidebotham announced on Instagram that after being involved with mental health services for a number of years, she had been discharged and was proud of her progress. She said it was the happiest she had ever been.

She last published a picture of herself on the platform three days before her body was found.

After Ms Sidebotham's body was discovered, residents from neighbouring streets shared their shock.

One resident of Upton Road, adjacent to the area which was restricted by police, said: “There was a team of police who cordoned off the road.

“It’s devastating, especially when it’s on your doorstep. It’s tragic.”

Noel Fitzgerald, a resident of Broadway, said: “I saw police and people in high-visibility. I thought it could be the council.”

Another Broadway resident said: “There were lots of police around, an ambulance and a helicopter. It’s a very nice, quiet neighbourhood."

To donate to the crowdfunding page click here.