DRUG user Beverley Anne Whitney died at her mother's home on her mother's birthday an inquest was told.

Miss Whitney, 40, whose home address was Back Burnley Road, Bacup, was found dead on August 20 at Newchurch Road, Rawtenstall, home of her mother Dorothy Farrer.

An inquest at Rawtenstall was told that the cause of death was a "quite high" overdose of both morphine and alcohol.

Her sister Gaynor Hilton of York Street, Crawshawbooth, said that about 20 years ago Beverley went to the south of England to do some work.

However, she said that when Beverley came back she was not the same person and had been taking drugs.

Before she died she had been staying at their mother's home.

As far as she knew she was still taking drugs and had quite a heavy drink problem.

She added: "On August 20 I went to my mother's on her birthday.

"Police were there and I was told Beverley had died."

Another member of family told acting East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said that in the week before Beverley had gone to her mother in the early hours and apologised to her for being a bad person.

Recording a verdict of accidental death Mr Taylor said she had been a drug addict for some years and had an alcohol abuse problem.

Mr Taylor said she died from an overdose of both of those substances together.

On balance he believed her death to be accidental.