A woman who witnessed the moment a man entered a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park has recalled the horrifying scenes, saying: "I tried to look away but I couldn't."
Ella Ford, 24, was at the Doncaster attraction when William Chapman, 23, was mauled to death by a tiger after entering its enclosure on Saturday.
An inquest into Mr Chapman's death is due to open at Doncaster Coroner's Court at 10am on Thursday.
Witness describes the incident
Recalling the incident, Ella said she had noticed Mr Chapman pacing around before he entered the habitat.
She said: "It's all a bit of a blur. I tried to look away but I couldn't. I just remember hearing people say 'Oh my God'.
"Everyone was trying to get their kids away because they knew what was about to happen."
Ella said Mr Chapman climbed into the enclosure and crawled towards a tiger that was resting nearby. Her boyfriend saw him take out his phone and move towards the animal.
Emergency response and family statement
Emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm on October 10 after Mr Chapman, who police said was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr Chapman's family have since revealed he had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years" and had been prescribed strong medication.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, they said: "It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death.
"We would ask everybody to respect that process."
Appeal over footage and tributes
The family also appealed for people to stop sharing footage of the incident, saying deeply offensive media content was causing them severe distress.
Their plea came after US President Donald Trump reposted a widely circulated video of the tragedy.
The family said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.
"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."
They added: "William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved, and William loved them back."
Mr Chapman, who was 23, had appeared on television as a child actor. According to IMDb, he featured in ITV comedy May Contain Nuts, alongside Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson, as well as the BBC's True Stories series.
He also attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In a tribute shared on Facebook, the school said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the loss of its former student.
It added: "We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer."
Investigation and tiger's welfare
City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has launched a health and safety investigation into the incident.
Dan Swaine, the council's executive director of place, said: "As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation."
The park has also confirmed that Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised.
In a previous statement on social media, the attraction said "many, many people" had contacted it about the animal following the tragedy.
