A WOMAN who took to drink after becoming depressed following her divorce died of acute alcohol poisoning, an inquest heard.

Retired domestic cleaner Patricia Gibbons, 63, of Clifton Street, Rishton, was found dead by her sister, Jean Moorcliffe, on January 19. A post-mortem examination discovered an alcohol reading of five times the drink-drive limit.

Mrs Moorcliffe, of Commercial Street, Rishton, told an inquest at Accrington that her sister suffered from asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema and had arthritis in her spine.

She said her sister had started to drink Carlsberg Special Brew "fairly heavily" and was a "bit secretive" about her habit. This had led to family arguments as her sister refused to acknowledge her problem.

Mrs Moorcliffe added that after her sister's death she found several empty cans of beer in a waste bin.

Linda Hacking, Mrs Gibbons' eldest daughter, said her mum became depressed following her divorce in 1980 and had been prescribed anti-depressants by her doctor.

In 1991 Mrs Gibbons changed doctors and was taken off the pills, at which point, Mrs Hacking said, her mother started drinking.

She said her mother resented the interference when the family expressed concern at her drinking.

Mrs Gibbons' youngest daughter Janet Palmer said it was an open secret that her mother was drinking too much, although both daughters told Carolyn Singleton, deputy coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, that their mother was not suicidal.

Mrs Singleton recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and said a post-mortem examination revealed the high alcohol reading and the cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning.