A RETIRED nurse from Whalley died after taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs after drinking heavily, an inquest heard.

But rather than wanting to kill herself, East Lancashire coroner Michael Singleton ruled Patricia Joan Tunnicliffe, 52, was too drunk to realise how many pills she was taking.

The inquest heard from Ms Tunnicliffe's brothers that she was prone to bingeing on drink and pills but said she would never have taken her own life, partly because she doted on her cat.

David Tunnicliffe said: "She could be up and down but I wouldn't describe her as clinically depressed."

Ms Tunnicliffe, of Station Road, Whalley, and formerly of Rawtenstall, had been a sister at Calderstones before she had to retire through ill health in the early 1980s.

The inquest heard he started with emotional problems after getting involved with a married man and had started to drink heavily.

She rarely left her flat because of problems with walking brought on by poor circulation. Her depression deepened in August 2001 when she contracted viral meningitis.

She was found dead at her flat in July 2002 with empty pill bottles scattered around.

Tests showed she had taken large amounts of painkillers, twice the fatal dose of Temazepam, and had a blood alcohol level seven times over the legal drink drive limit.

Another brother Keith Tunnicliffe said: "Whenever she got her money she would get a bottle of vodka straight away.

"Whenever she got her tablets she would take most of them well before the prescribed date. That's just the way she was."

David Tunnicliffe said doctors had to be called out to her flat because she had collapsed after taking too many drugs.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Mr Singleton said he was satisfied Ms Tunnicliffe had taken a lethal dose of drugs while too drunk to realise what she was doing.