EIGHTY-eight year old spinster Margaret Cragg died as a result of injuries resulting from a fall at home an inquest was told.

Miss Cragg lived alone in sheltered accommodation in Browsholme Avenue, Burnley, and had no known blood relations.

Funeral arrangements were made by a hospital because no relatives could be traced.

Simon Pomfret, community mobile warden for the Browsholme Avenue area, said he visited the residents in the 35 properties daily to check on their wellbeing.

He described Miss Cragg as a private person although they had a good chat each day.

She would mainly stay at home but would go to the shops once or twice a week. On November 21 he found her collapsed behind the bedroom door but uninjured.

He contacted Burnley social services to arrange an urgent assessment.

When he returned the following day she was unable to get herself out of bed. He got her up dressed and fed her and arranged for a neighbour to also call in.

On the Friday it was a similar situation. Because he was off at the weekend he contacted the emergency social services at Chorley.

When they arrived that evening they found her collapsed and she was admitted to hospital where she later died.

Pathologist Dr WD Salman said bleeding in the chest cavity was the result of a rupture of an aneurism, a natural thing which could have result from increased blood pressure, the result of bleeding on the brain as a result of a fall.

Acting East Lancashire Coroner, Richard Taylor recorded a verdict of accidental death.