A BREAD delivery man tried in vain to catch an 88-year-old woman when she threw herself off the top of a town centre market car park, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told that Alice Harper died after taking a taxi into Blackburn at around 6.45am.

Warburtons worker Wayne Pearson, of Rossendale Road, Burnley, was driving along Brown Street, Blackburn, when he saw the woman on top of the car park.

He thought at first it was a youth but when he got out of his vehicle, Mr Pearson realised it was an elderly woman.

"I saw her climb into the ledge and as I watched she rolled off," said Mr Pearson.

"I was going to try and catch her but as I set off she hit the pavement."

Mrs Harper, of Lamlash Road, Blackburn, left a note at the home of her friend, Violet Preston, asking her to give one package to her son, Norman Harper, and the other, containing money, to the church.

Mrs Preston said Mrs Harper had said something about losing her home but there was no foundation for this.

"I told her not to worry, that nobody could make her leave her home if she did not want to and she seemed to be calmed by that," said Mrs Preston.

The medical cause of death was multiple injuries.

Coroner Michael Singleton, recording a verdict of suicide, said Mrs Harper had never regained consciousness and would not have suffered.

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