The 'personal' horoscope addressed to Eccleshill grandmother Nora Heywood promised love, luck and money.

"Dear Nora, Everything should start to change for the better shortly after you get this letter... in particular a great financial opportunity will come your way," it stated.

In fact, the 66-year-old had died several weeks earlier of lung cancer.

But the junk mail from phoney fortune tellers continues to arrive, and is causing distress to Mrs Heywood's daughter, Rachel.

Even though the family have returned mail unopened to the Swiss company sending the letters, with 'passed away' written on the envelope, this is ignored.

Miss Heywood, 29, a mother-of-three, of Farmhill Road, Eccleshill, said: "They are still sending this garbage to my mum, and she's in her coffin.

"We're concerned that it is a bit of a twist, and not fair to other folk who are receiving letters. They might be fooled into believing it - when it's obviously rubbish. We have tried to trace this company through directory inquiries but they are not registered."

Letters sent to Mrs Heywood since her death, from 'clairvoyant' Paloma Summer, have told her

l that she will receive an unexpected sum of money

l that the 'fog' of her misfortune will lift

l that she will undergo a personality change

The most recent letter concludes: "Nora, I promise you on my honour: you're going to have more luck, love and money."

Miss Heywood's partner Clifford Darvill said: "We keep receiving fortune tellers' letters. We received another one today. We are always getting them.

"She has been dead for nine weeks. It's a complete swizz.

"I've sent letters back, telling them she's passed away but they still keep coming. It's getting my fiancee down.

"I came home from work and she was in tears because another of the letters had arrived."

A spokesman for the Consumers Association said householders could write to the Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London WC1 7EZ to get themselves 'struck off' many junk mail lists.