AN Accrington woman was the third East Lancashire victim in the last 12 months of one-in-a-million mystery killer disease sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, an inquest heard.

But a leading neuro-pathologist said the high incidence of the disease was a statistical blip and not a sign that people in the area were at greater risk.

The hearing was told that Brenda Taylor, 67, of Wellington Street, was diagnosed as suffering from sporadic CJD which is a debilitating, degenerative illness and had been seen by the specialist unit based in Edinburgh.

Consultant neuropathologist Dr Timothy Dawson said that following her death Mrs Taylor's brain had been examined by Professor Ironside at the Edinburgh unit who had confirmed sporadic CJD.

"It is the form of the disease that kills one in a million people per year," said Dr Dawson.

"It is just an unfortunate event, a mutation of a protein in the brain which we can't explain."

He told Mrs Taylor's daughter-in-law, Sandra Taylor: "I can't give you answers as to why she got it any more than I could say why someone had been hit by a meteorite."

Michael Singleton, coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, said his jurisdiction had a population of 250,000 but he had conducted inquests into three deaths from sporadic CJD in the past 12 months.

"Is that a statistical anomaly or an indication of an increased risk in this area?" he asked.

"I think it is a statistical variation and there is no evidence of any increased risk in this area."

Recording a natural causes verdict, Mr Singleton said the hope was that with each death from sporadic CJD knowledge could be moved forward.

"I understand what a debilitating disease this is.

"The only crumb of comfort I can offer is that out of this we may gain some information that will help in the future," said Mr Singleton.