The mother of tragic television presenter Caroline Flack has hit out at people who “pretended to love” her “kind, loyal” daughter before she died.

Chris Flack also criticised whoever was responsible for a photograph from the bloody scene of an alleged assault the 40-year-old celebrity committed on her boyfriend, Lewis Burton, which was subsequently leaked to a newspaper.

Mrs Flack said publication of the photograph, which contained Flack’s blood and not her boyfriend’s, “devastated” the TV star.

Mrs Flack’s statement did not identify anybody by name, although she told the inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court this week that her daughter told her Mr Burton had taken the photograph and passed it to a former partner.

Flack believed Mr Burton had cheated on her at the time of the attack, the inquest heard.

In her statement on Thursday evening, Mrs Flack said: “Many people loved and supported Caroline, they know who they are and I thank them all.

“Many people pretended to love Caroline and took advantage of her kindness and they know who they are.

“Someone took a photo that night and sent it to another person who sold it to the press – and this devastated Caroline. You know what you did.”

She added: “Caroline you were loved. I love you.

“Those that would have harmed you can’t touch you now.”

Mrs Flack described her daughter as “beautiful, fun, opinionated, kind, loyal, full of confidence, and full of fears”.

But she added: “Because she was successful and because she was so open about her life and her loves, she became an easy target for cruel and spiteful people who, if they knew the pain they caused, would be ashamed.”

Mrs Flack also said the CPS and the police “came to cover up” their role in Flack’s death.

She said: “I believe she (Flack) was a celebrity who some felt needed to be made an example of, as opposed to being treated as anyone else would have been, which is all Caroline wanted.

“I don’t believe Caroline was treated as anyone else would have been.”

Both the CPS and the Metropolitan Police said the case was dealt with fairly and properly.

The coroner Mary Hassell found Flack killed herself because she knew she was being prosecuted for assault and could not face the press coverage.

Her mental health deteriorated at the time following her arrest in December.

She was found hanged at her home on February 15 2020.