No meaningful plans were in place to help a chronically shy university student through a presentation in front of more than 40 colleagues that was due to take place on the day she was found dead, an inquest has heard.

Staff knew that Natasha Abrahart, a Bristol University physics student, was vulnerable and had discussed ways of helping her through the “laboratory conference”, which involves a small group taking to a stage in a theatre to debate an experiment in front of peers and assessors.

They were also aware she had missed “laboratory interviews” – intense one-on-one discussions with tutors that were an important part of her course – because she was so reserved.

But Tom Stoate, a barrister for Abrahart’s parents Margaret and Bob, told Avon coroner’s court that by the day of the laboratory conference, Monday 30 April 2018, no proper measures were in place to help her through the presentation.

Police were called at 2.30pm that day to Abrahart’s flat close to the university campus. The conference was due to start at 2pm.

Abrahart is one of 12 students at Bristol University who have or are suspected of having killed themselves since September 2016.

On day five of the inquest at Avon coroner’s court, Adrian Barnes, a senior tutor in the school of physics, said it was drawn to his attention at the end of 2017 that Abrahart had been missing work. He met the second-year student at the start of December and concluded she had “genuine social anxiety”.

After Christmas her problems continued and in February Barnes got in touch with the university’s disability services. A temporary receptionist emailed him back, saying that it would get in touch with her.

But Abrahart did not engage with disability services and Barnes told the court the service had not told him she had not responded to it.

Barnes said he also knew the student wellbeing service had been informed of Abrahart’s case but the court was told there had been no direct contact between it and her.

Stoate suggested to Barnes that “no meaningful plan” was in place for the laboratory conference. Stoate said: “On 30 April she was under stress which could and should have been avoided.”

Stoate suggested to Barnes that Abrahart faced being failed academically. Barnes answered: “That is not true. It’s clear she wanted to carry on. She wanted to do her presentations. We were trying to find away in which we could overcome the issue of social anxiety.”

The court has been told that Abrahart tried to kill herself at least twice before she died and had also sent an email to one of Barnes’ colleagues, the student administration manager, Barbara Perks, saying she was contemplating suicide.

Perks told the court that she had frequent conversations with Abrahart and went with her to see a university doctor. “I did the best I could to put her in touch with the people who could help her,” she said. Perks said she knew that Abrahart had self-harmed but not that she had tried to kill herself.

She last saw her on the afternoon of Friday 27 April. “She seemed quite positive,” Perks said and claimed Abrahart knew she did not not have to go on stage if it did not feel right. “She said: ‘I want to go ahead and present with the group.’”

The inquest continues.