A MOTHER-of-two died hours after celebrating her birthday.

Mrs Jayne Currie suffered a severe epileptic fit at a friend's house in Radcliffe on September 22, an inquest was told.

Hours earlier she had been out drinking with a group of people to mark her 33rd birthday.

Returning to her female friend's home in Chapelfield, Mrs Currie and friend Mark Lonsdale went to bed.

He left at 2.30am but returned to the house to find the house owner, Miss Sarah Pendlebury, in a distressed state.

Mrs Currie was pronounced dead on arrival at Fairfield General Hospital.

Recording a verdict of "death by natural causes", coroner Mr Barrie Williams had earlier heard how Mrs Currie had been diagnosed an epileptic when she was seven years of age and suffered mild or severe attacks at least once a week. She was taking daily medication to control the fits but was embarrassed by her condition and preferred to keep it quiet from most people and never stayed away from home.

On September 21, Mrs Currie, a pet toy maker from Little Lever, had gone out with her friends and returned in the early hours of the morning to take her pills.

Her friends did not remember her taking any more prior to her death.

Bury CID launched an investigation into the tragedy but ruled out any third party involvement. A postmortem confirmed her death was as a result of a severe epileptic attack.

Mr Williams said: "This was a sudden and unexpected event. Mrs Currie returned to her friend's home for some private time with Mr Lonsdale. He left at 2.30am.

"Mrs Currie never stayed out. I believe she intended to go home but had suffered an epileptic attack before she could do so."