TWO young girls woke up to discover their mother hanging from an upstairs bannister, suspended by a black leather belt

The grim find by the girls aged seven and 13 happened on Monday at the Dalton Avenue home in Whitefield where the children lived with their 31-year-old divorced mum, Shelley Clements.

Yesterday (Thurs) an inquest at Rochdale was told that on the previous evening the dead woman's sister, Mrs Catherine Whittle, of Salford, had visited the house.

She told the inquest she saw nothing abnormal in her sister's behaviour.

After the children found the body they telephoned their grandmother who in turn summoned the police.

Mrs Whittle later identified the body of her sister.

The inquest was told how PC Jeanette McCann arrived at the house on Monday morning to find the door ajar. When she went inside the body had already been let down and was in the hallway.

The hearing was also told the dead woman had a history of depression and had been prescribed drugs.

Coroner Mr Barrie Williams recorded a verdict of suicide.

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