THE mother of a 43-year-old Carlisle woman whose death remains shrouded in mystery described her as a very loving and caring daughter.

A coroner this week recorded an open conclusion after a two hour inquest failed to find any conclusive reason for the death of Tracy Wilkinson, who had battled with drink and drug problems and struggled to cope after the death of two partners.

The court heard how the alarm was raised by a pharmacist in Denton Holme, Carlisle, when Miss Wilkinson failed to collect her prescription of the heroin substitute methadone. Police broke into her home in Bridge Terrace, off Denton Street, on April 15 last year.

They found Miss Wilkinson dead on her bedroom floor. A post mortem confirmed that Miss Wilkinson, who was being supported by both drug and alcohol services and mental health professionals, had taken multiple antidepressant medications.

It was possible that the combination of these drugs may have depressed her respiratory system. The inquest heard also of Miss Wilkinson's troubled past. After working at Southwaite Services on the M6 at the age of 17, she gave up the job to spend more time with friends.

"Tracy started taking drugs," said her mother Maureen Wilkinson. "Her drug taking started with with cannabis and went on to harder drugs." She also used heroin.

Her first partner died from an overdose, prompting Miss Wilkinson to drink more - typically two bottles of Lambrini wine a day. Her next partner died in 2017 - also of an overdose.

Before her death, she repeatedly expressed her desire to be drug free, the inquest heard. But joint working between drug and alcohol services and mental health services was minimal, according to a report considered by the coroner.

Noting the cause of death was unascertained, Mr Smith concluded: "I'm required to record an open conclusion in this circumstance." After the hearing, Maureen Wilkinson, of Cummersdale, said: "She was a very loving daughter: she always brought me little gifts. I believe people take drugs to blot out what's going on in their head; and they drink to forget."