TRAUMA brought on by the death of a close friend proved too much for a Bury woman addicted to painkillers.

Relatives found 52-year-old Mrs Joyce Clark dead at her home in Deal Street, Bury, following an overdose of the drug dihydrocodeine last October.

The mother-of-two had become increasingly troubled and lonely following the death of her friend, Mr Paul Walsh, an inquest in Bury heard on Friday (June 14).

Mrs Clark's body was taken to Fairfield General Hospital, where blood tests revealed she had taken large quantities of the drug mixed with alcohol. She died of respiratory failure.

A former psychiatric patient at Fairfield, Mrs Clark had been in weekly contact with her family and was due to visit relatives in Scotland.

However, she was becoming increasingly reliant on painkillers, and was having her prescriptions monitored on a daily basis.

Mr Mike Liffin, of Bury's Community Drugs and Alcohol Team, said that Mrs Clark had contacted him and mentioned suicide following the death.

He added that her prescriptions were tightly monitored, and it appeared she had overdosed on supplies obtained from other sources.

A verdict of suicide was recorded by the Bury district coroner Mr Barrie Williams.

He said: "The concentration of the drug was so high that it must be seen that the deceased had the intention ultimately to take her own life.

"The evidence leaves me no alternative but to record a verdict of suicide."