The family of Bradford soldier who hanged herself at an Army barracks say they will "never really know" what led her to do it.

Private Alison Croft, 22, was found hanged by a fellow military chef in her Army accommodation at Dalton Barracks, in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

At an inquest in Oxford yesterday, held more than five years after Pte Croft's death on October 2, 2002, her father Kenneth Croft, of Idlethorp Way, Thorpe Edge, Bradford, said minutes after he had been told his daughter had died he received another phone call from one of her Army colleagues saying she had been bullied.

But the inquest heard that there was no evidence from the 250 witnesses interviewed by police to substantiate the claim.

The Deputy Coroner for Oxfordshire, Dorothy Flood, said she was satisfied that Pte Croft, who served as a chef in the 4 General Support Regiment of the Royal Logistics Corps, had taken her own life.

She said the most likely reason was that she realised her Army career would be in tatters because of a worsening psychiatric condition.

Speaking outside the hearing, Pte Croft's mother Wendy Allan was asked whether the verdict would allow her to put suggestions of bullying to the back of her mind.

She replied: "It will take a lot of convincing, so we will never know."

Earlier, Mr Croft told the inquest: "Ten minutes after being told my daughter had been found hanging I had a telephone call from her friend Amanda.

"She said We will get them, Mr Croft, we will get them, and she mentioned Sergeant Sean Scott and Warrant Officer Edward Gibson'. "I said What for?' and she said For bullying Alison'."

WO Gibson, who described himself as an "old school firm but fair" officer, told the hearing the young recruit had not been bullied.

"I was not bullying Private Croft," he said. "I don't know why she did what she did."

Detective Sergeant Geoff Webb, who investigated Pte Croft's death for Thames Valley Police, said he had found no suggestions of bullying from the 250 people with whom he had spoken.

"We came to the conclusion following the extensive inquires that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of bullying by anyone," he said.

The inquest heard that Pte Croft, who had always dreamed of serving in the forces, had been put on light duties because of a cut to her arm that was thought to be self-inflicted.

Doctor Sylvia Moeller had assessed Pte Croft on a number of occasions before her death and expressed concerns about her psychiatric well-being.

Oxfordshire Coroner's Court also heard evidence from Mary Smith who ran a supermarket at the base and who had noticed unusual behaviour from the young soldier days before her body was found.

In documentary evidence the store manager said that on four occasions Pte Croft had come into the shop and bought a packet of colouring pens, a paperweight, a pencil sharpener and a ruler.

Summing up the evidence, Deputy Coroner Flood said: "She knew there was a risk that she would not be able to continue with a military career and she did not see any other option because that is what she wanted to do.

"She realised that her own medical problems were going to come to light."

Regarding the allegations of bullying, she said Pte Croft's state of mind may have been caused by her psychiatric illnesses.

"It may have been because of her medical problems that the authoritative attitude that can be associated with the Army may have made her more concerned," she said.