A CORONER recorded an open verdict on the death of an 81-year-old woman found at the foot of the stairs at her Darwen home.

The inquest into the death of Mary Taylor heard that the pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination could not establish a cause of death.

Mrs Taylor was found by her niece, Sandra Fielding, at the bottom of the stairs at her home in Limes Avenue.

She had a cut to the back of her head but the post-mortem examination found no injuries to the skull or brain.

The pathologist could not say if Mrs Taylor had died as a result of shock from loss of blood or if the stress of the incident had caused an abnormal heart rhythm.

Coroner Michael Singleton said it was not possible to determine whether Mrs Taylor had been going up or down the stairs.

"For some reason she collapsed and struck her head against the radiator," he said.

"There was evidence of narrowing of the arteries which could have led to some form of cardiac arrest.

"But it is also possible she suffered some form of shock as a result of the blood loss.

"Putting all that together, it is impossible to give a medical cause of death."