A WOMAN who died after inhaling from a canister had a history of solvent abuse, an inquest has heard.

Tracy Kerr, 37, from Blackburn, was found slumped in a chair of her house holding a gas canister on January 18.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, assistant coroner Richard Taylor said her death had been the ‘unexpected outcome of an intended action’.

Ms Kerr’s brother Ian told the hearing in Preston how she had battled with solvent abuse since she was a teenager. He said: “My sister was depressed. Her family lived in Glasgow where she’d travelled quite frequently.

“But after mother died, my sister become more upset.

“She suffered from bouts of depression and became withdrawn and turned to solvent abuse.

“It had been happening since her late teenage years.

“I believe she passed away while taking solvents.”

The inquest heard how Ms Kerr, from Heaton Street, had not been seen for months.

Her landlord had received a letter stating she had stopped paying her rent while neighbours also grew concerned.

But after Ms Kerr’s landlord forced entry to her home, she was found slumped in a chair holding a gas canister surrounded by other gas canisters.

Pathologist Dr Al Mudaffer said the cause of Ms Kerr’s death was solvent abuse.

He said: “Her death related to solvent abuse and she had not been seen for a couple of months and was found slumped in the chair holding a gas canister surrounded by others.

“There was no obvious natural cause of death and she’d clearly been there for some time.”

Ms Kerr’s GP Dr Paul Fourie said: “I’d seen her on a regular basis since 1999. Ever since I met her, she’d had solvents mainly through inhaling gas from refill canisters.

“Many times I’d spoken to her on the phone.

“The last time I’d seen her was on August 8. She seemed to be in good spirits.”

Assistant coroner Mr Taylor said: “Ms Kerr was a young lady who had abused solvents for many years.

“This incident was nothing out of the ordinary and there was nothing to suggest that she intended to do any more than use solvents.

“So I record a verdict of misadventure after the unexpected outcome of an intentional action."

“Ms Kerr died as a result of solvent inhalation.”