A recovering alcoholic who gave into the temptations of drinking at Christmas to celebrate her birthday, died after falling downstairs head first into a baby gate.

Christine Illingworth, 54, who had not had alcohol for four months before her death on Boxing Day last year, had fallen in such a position that she could not breathe and that is what caused her death, Assistant Deputy Coroner Tim Ratcliffe ruled at an inquest in Bradford yesterday.

Her son Carl found her after investigating what he had initially though was a pile of clothes at the bottom of the stairs at their home in Brompton Road, East Bowling.

“But it was his mum,” said Mr Ratcliffe.

Mr Illingworth told the hearing his mum had just enjoyed her best Christmas for a long time, celebrating with family but she had still been having problems.

A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Illingworth had the equivalent of about three pints in her system when she died, “not a significant amount” noted Mr Ratcliffe, but there was also cannabis detected, both of which could have caused instability.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, he told her family in court that her death was likely to have been “mercifully quick”.