A MOTHER has told an inquest of her shock after her "bubbly" 25-year-old daughter died of an accidental drugs overdose.

Stephanie Deakin, 25, was found dead at her home in Towneley Street on September 6 last year after having taken methadone.

Her mother Susan Hindle, of Oporto Close, told the inquest at Burnley Magistrates' Court that her daughter had become depressed in the last months of her life.

East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor read from a police statement that Stephanie, who had a daughter Mia, had left home at the age of 16 to live with her boyfriend Mark Milne, who was 10 years older than her. The pair had a daughter in 1997.

Their relationship was unsuccessful and when they split up Stephanie began using heroin, though she later stopped. They got back together last year and Stephanie became depressed and, on one occasion in August, cut her arms.

On the night she died, she is believed to have taken methadone that was prescribed to Mr Milne.

Mrs Hindle said: "As far as I was concerned she was OK and getting the treatment she wanted.

"She was headstrong and had a mind of her own.

"She was very bubbly and used to come out with the family a lot."

Speaking about her daughter's death, Mrs Hindle said she did not believe Stephanie intended to die. She said: "She had spoken to me about going out on the Friday. If I thought for one moment she was going to do that I would have taken her to my house. I don't believe she killed herself at all, because she loved her daughter too much."

Consultant pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told the hearing that although Stephanie had been prescribed sleeping tablets and anti-depressants neither had been present in her system when she died.

He said the amount of methadone in her system was double the lowest level which could be fatal and found she died a result of the toxic effect of methadone and diazepam.

Mr Taylor said: "The methadone has come undoubtedly from what was supplied to the person she was then living with. There can be no evidence that that was something that was done by him.

"My feeling throughout this case is that this was a terrible accident, that this is a young girl who had everything to live for with her daughter, that she was someone who had a bubbly personality and she was suffering from depression."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.