First picture of 'beautiful, intelligent' student Lidia Dragescu who died in fall from Whispering Gallery inside St Paul's Cathedral

A woman who fell 100ft to her death from a balcony at St Paul’s Cathedral was a “beautiful and intelligent” biomedical student just a few weeks into her degree.

Lidia Dragescu, 23, was killed when she fell from the Whispering Gallery in front of shocked tourists and staff at about 10.30am on Wednesday.

The straight A pupil had started a degree at the University of East London in September and had dreamed of being a brain surgeon.

Her devastated mother Isabela Dragescu, 44, revealed how her daughter had said goodbye to her “as normal” thinking she was travelling to class.

The devoted Christian instead took a bus from her home in east London to the cathedral, one of her favourite places, where she was a regular visitor.

City of London Police are not treating her death as suspicious.

Ms Dragescu said: “She was the most beautiful human being; she was the best daughter and my best friend.

“Everyone loved her and whenever she entered a room all eyes were on her.

“She was talented, creative, eager to learn, read for hours a day and loved classical music.

“She was perfect, pure and an angel who loved St Paul’s.

“I just want her back; she was too young to die, she had her whole life ahead of her.

“I don’t have any more tears left. I’ve lost my best friend, the most beautiful human being ever.”

Lidia moved from Romania to London five years ago with her mother, twin brother Vlad and younger brother Gabriel, 16.

She had already got a 2:1 business degree at the London campus of Ulster University based in Holborn.

There she learnt the skills to help set up a recruiting company, KOD services, with her mother.

Before starting her family’s company, she worked as a restaurant manager to support her through her degree. She had considered working as a model.

She loved learning and had created a website “Knowledge is Our Duty” which aimed to give a greater insight for readers about classical music, literature, science and art.

It included poetry she had written and some of her favourite quotes from the likes of Albert Einstein and TS Eliot.

She also loved ice skating which she would do with her brothers.

She had talked with her family about going on to study to be a brain surgeon at King’s College after completing her degree and one day hoping to live in New York.

While she loved learning, her mother said she had struggled to make friends and feel happy in life, but her sadness was hidden to the outside world.

She said: “She was normal, she loved God but she was very sad.

“She opened up to me about her sadness and sorrows about not fitting into this world.

She said: “Her escape was reading for hours a day.

“She didn’t have friends and was always with me so I don’t know why she never told me the true extent of her problems and thoughts.

“She was kind, selfless and did everything for her family.”

A family statement released today said: “Our daughter and sister was the most beautiful person in the world. Her heart was pure and kind, a soul from another world.

“She was an outstanding student and a talented figure skater. Beautiful, intelligent and kind. She would always help me, not allowing me to do any difficult chores.

“Her love for us was beyond measure, she was selfless and kind. Everything that she had she shared with us, always putting us first. We love her and will always love her.

“For Lidia, the world has been a bad place to live in.”

City of London police said it would file a report for the coroner.

For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123, visit a local Samaritans branch or visit them online at www.samaritans.org.