Staff at a supported living complex in Bradford found a woman resident dead in her flat the day after she had been discharged from hospital.

Alcoholic and recovering heroin addict Michelle Whyatt, 34, was discovered after a friend at the complex in Oak Lane, Manningham, became worried and alerted staff. Miss Whyatt had been treated for a deep vein thrombosis and had a painful skin infection cellulitis. She had attended Bradford Royal Infirmary shortly before she died in November 1 last year.

Her friend Gillian Crossley said in a statement read out at an inquest in Bradford yesterday that she had returned from hospital, watched TV and had not been drinking before she had gone back to her room.

The alarm was raised when Miss Crossley could not rouse her friend and had to get staff to let themselves in with their keys.

A post-mortem examination showed there was a variety of prescription and non-prescription drugs in her system, including anti-depressants, heroin, painkillers and methadone.

Assistant Deputy Coroner Dr Dominic Bell said the levels of two anti-depressants found were higher than normal dosing, but there was no evidence it had been a deliberate overdose. Dr Bell recorded a verdict that her death was due to alcohol and drug dependency.