'I partied with my boyfriend at Radio 1's Big Weekend - the next day he took his life'

A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after finding her boyfriend dead just hours after they were having fun at Radio 1's Big Weekend.

Lisa Carol Pratt, 33, had travelled to Sefton Park in Liverpool with dad-of-one Richard Scriven for the popular event on May 24 and the pair enjoyed the music festival as they prepared to mark their four year anniversary. Richard, 36, was desperate to see his favourite artist Tom Grennan on stage as the couple made the most of the day.

But the next morning she called round and found him dead at his home after he had decided to take his own life. She said: "We went to the Big Weekend in Liverpool. Richard really wanted to see Tom Grennan. We had a really good day. He was a little bit up and down but we left on a positive note and I dropped him at home."

Tragically and traumatically Lisa travelled to Richard's home and made the devastating discovery. She told the LiverpoolEcho: "I knew he was gone. I haven't got any answers, it is very hard. When you spend so much time with someone, I don't know how I didn't pick up on anything. I keep blaming myself."

Lisa is now trying to keep Richard's memory alive and has sent a special bottle with a message and a picture of them together into the sea at Blackpool, one of the couple's favourite places, where they had their first date. she added: "We met in 2021 because we were both working for a care company at the time.

"Richard was agency staff and to be honest I was dreading the shift because I thought I would be showing someone how to do everything, but it was a really good shift. At first I was trying to help him because he was struggling with his mental health and I am a mental health first aider - but then he asked me out on a date, we went to Blackpool - and I think we just realised we were a perfect match."

Lisa said Richard, who had a four-year-old son from a previous relationship, had always struggled with his mental health and had leaned on her for support. On the day of the Radio One festival in Liverpool, she said they had enjoyed their time together. To add to her heartbreak, Lisa found out after Richard's death that he was planning to propose to her later this year. She said: "I found out that he had actually been planning to marry me since our first Christmas together.

"We were planning to go to New York later this year and that is where he was going to propose. I am now carrying his ashes in a necklace and also in a ring that I have which is very similar to the engagement ring he was going to propose with - because I definitely would have said yes."

On Friday, which would have been the couple's fourth anniversary, Lisa travelled to Blackpool with her parents, where she let off a balloon and sent the bottle with the message and the picture out to sea. She has since set up a Facebook group called Lisa and Richard's journey message in a bottle, which she is hoping people will join and post any updates about the bottle's journey if they come across it. The group can be found here.

She explained: " I am trying to keep Richard's memory alive as much as possible. We always said we would go travelling together and this is the only way we can do it now. I have made a group on Facebook that will hopefully help me follow our journey in the bottle. I have asked anyone who comes across it to post in there so that we can follow where we have been together."

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.