A 79-YEAR-OLD Clitheroe woman died after falling over her own walking stick.

An inquest heard Dorothy Whittaker broke a leg in the fall on the day she had been issued with a Zimmer frame. But she could not use because it was too big for her sheltered flat.

Miss Whittaker underwent surgery but the operation put too much strain on her heart.

Miss Whittaker, of Candlemakers Court, Clitheroe, was conscious when the scheme warden, Elizabeth Peters got to her side after another resident raised the alarm.

Miss Whittaker told her she had tripped over her walking stick.

Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a verdict of accidental death.