AN inquest was adjourned for toxicology tests on samples taken from a pensioner found dead at her home.

Margaret Mary Riley, 78, of Wheatcroft Avenue, Fence, was discovered by her husband Eric last Friday - the day before her 79th birthday.

She had been ill since 1991 and her husband told the inquest in Burnley that she had seen nearly 30 hospital specialists in the last six years.

He said she had undergone a series of major operations and as a result her health deteriorated rapidly. She had taken a partial overdose in June 1997 and various treatments prescribed by pain relief specialists were said to have been unsuccessful.

Mr Riley said: "She was taking a cocktail of drugs prescribed by her GP and specialists at the hospital."

East Lancashire coroner David Smith was told that, on April 8, Mrs Riley slept most of the day, getting up at 6pm to have a meal and watch TV and shortly afterwards returning to bed.

When Mr Riley went to bed at 10.30pm, his wife was sleeping and breathing naturally. He woke up at 4.30am and noticed she was lying in an awkward position and he knew something was wrong.

A post mortem examination revealed she had taken some type of drugs, but it was not known what they were or how much she had taken.

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