Madalyn Davis death: Sydney fatal cliff fall victim 'abused on social media'

Madalyn Davis had thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube, as well as being on Facebook

A British woman who died falling from a cliff in Australia was "left vulnerable to abuse, resentment and manipulation" on social media, her family said.

Madalyn Davis, 21, from Lincoln, was fatally injured at Diamond Bay, Sydney, on Sunday.

Australian police are investigating after a group of people taking photos at the site could not find her.

Rebecca Smith said her daughter was able to "continually overcome" trolling due to her "passion and zest for life".

She hit out at the "abhorrent comments and vile opinions" made on her daughter's Instagram page.

In a lengthy statement, she described Ms Davis as "an introverted extrovert" who had "struggled with a world that could be so unkind" and had been "taken advantage of" at times.

Ms Davis had been posting photos of her work and travels on social media

Ms Davis had been in Australia for a number of weeks after travelling in Thailand and Bali.

The yoga teacher said her daughter's "accidental passing has been so sudden and has rocked us to our core".

"There will forever be a hole in our lives that will never be filled, a hole our family can barely face comprehending."

The 21-year-old was a beautician specialising in eyelashes and had dedicated social media accounts, in which she "found fame inadvertently through the expression of her art".

"This caused a lot of pain in her life... she was left vulnerable to abuse, resentment and manipulation.

"Despite this, Maddie still faced every day with optimism, and a smile on her face," she said.

The 21-year-old was an eyelash technician who made a number of videos on her YouTube channel

"We couldn't be prouder of our most beautiful girl for everything she achieved and the lives she touched."

She appealed for "all speculation and character assassinations cease", saying Ms Davis's siblings were so hurt by the trolling.

"We cannot comprehend how at such a traumatic time, a select few can be so heartless and target the most vulnerable suffering such acute emotional pain."

A GoFundMe page set up by the family to fund a campaign, to challenge government and social media companies to deal with bullying issues, has raised more than £3,000 in a day.

Ms Davis's former school paid tribute to a "much-liked, popular and well-respected" student

Emergency services were called to Diamond Bay at about 06:30 local time following reports a woman had fallen off the cliff in the eastern suburbs of the city.

Her body was retrieved from the water about four hours later.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said the body was yet to be formally identified but was believed to be that of Ms Davis.

Signs warn tourists to stay away from the cliff edge and the height of fences in the area had been increased, according to a local mayor.

Madalyn Davis, 21, from Lincoln, had been travelling in Thailand and Bali before heading out to Australia