A 33-YEAR-OLD woman was killed by a brain tumour which had left her feeling less poorly than an attack of sunstroke, an inquest was told.

And pathologist Dr Richard Prescott told the inquest that his post mortem examination of Sharon Beard had revealed no visible sign of the meningitis which doctors and her family had originally believed killed her.

He said microbiology tests carried out by colleagues had proved positive for meningitis and he had to accept their findings. But he said it was the pituitary tumour that had killed her in June. The dead woman's mother, Margaret Beard, said her daughter had displayed none of the symptoms described by Dr Prescott.

"She was more poorly when she had sunstroke than she was with what killed her," said Mrs Beard.

The inquest heard that Miss Beard was rushed to hospital after collapsing at her home at Acorn Lodge Stables, Clayton-le-Dale. She was treated in intensive care and a brain scan revealed the advanced tumour.

Dr Prescott said the usual symptoms of the tumour, which starts in the base of the brain, were headaches, dizziness and often double vision.

He said that by the time of her death the tumour had grown to such a size that it would not have been treatable.

He said the growth of the tumour had put pressure on the brain and gave the cause of death as raised inter-cranial pressure and haemorrhaging in a tumour.

Dr Prescott said that pituitary tumours can be removed by neurosurgeons and sometimes can be burned out through the nose.

Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.

Doctors revealed that Sharon's family and friends were given antibiotics to prevent them contracting the bug, and public health officials say they could also be vaccinated.

Her brother, Shaun, 40, said: "It's a real tragedy. Sharon was only 33 and she was very happy and jolly all the time. She was the baby of the family.

"She lived at home and helped out around the house. She was very close to all her family and was a very close aunt to my two children."