THE Prime Minister has offered her full support to the setting up of a website in memory of a parish councillor from Heybridge.

Theresa May has offered the House of Commons' "deepest sympathies and condolences" to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP for Chorley and Maldon district councillor Miriam Lewis following the death of their daughter Natalie Lewis Hoyle in December.

Her comments came as Maldon MP John Whittingdale raised the establishment of the "Chat With Nat" website during Prime Minister's Questions today.

Miss Lewis-Hoyle, 28, died in December at her home in Beeches Road, Heybridge.

An inquest into her death in April recorded an open verdict but heard she had been in a troubled relationship in which she suffered mental abuse, known as gaslighting.

Addressing the Prime Minister today, Mr Whittingdale said: "As she is aware at the end of last year my constituent Natalie Lewis-Hoyle, the daughter of councillor Miriam Lewis and our right honourable friend the member for Chorley took her own life having been in a coercive relationship and suffered mental abuse in what is known as gaslighting.

"Does she agree that we need to raise awareness of this particular kind of abuse, and will she support Miriam Lewis in establishing the 'Chat With Nat' website in memory of Natalie to help and advise those affected by this behaviour?"

Mrs May replied: "Can I thank him for raising what is a very important issue and start by saying I'm sure members on all sides of this House will join me in offering our deepest sympathies and condolences to councillor Miriam Lewis and the right honourable member for Chorley.

"And I'd like to thank him for bringing this website in memory of Natalie to my attention."

She added: "I'm happy to offer my full support to this project, I'm sure that it's going to provide much needed help and advice to those who are in the most difficult and painful of circumstances.

"We have of course changed the law to introduce a new domestic abuse offence of coercion and control in intimate and familial relationships and since the introduction of the offence, there have been almost 300 successful prosecutions.

"I think this shows what a problem this issue is out there, but we are always looking for what more can be done and we are currently looking in our consultation on transforming the law on domestic abuse and violence, we are looking for ideas on how the offence can be further strengthened to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice."