A COUPLE today spoke of their heartache after their best friend became the first person in Blackburn to die of suspected CJD.

Betty Riding, 75, was brought back to the UK by friends Edwin and Ena Shaw, of Woodlands Avenue, Cherry Tree, after she became seriously ill at her retirement home in Cyprus.

She was immediately admitted to Queens Park Hospital, in Blackburn, where she died on Saturday.

Coroners officer PC Julie Brown told the opening of an inquest that it was believed the death was related to the human form of mad cow disease.

A post mortem examination has been carried out and samples have been sent to the CJD surveillance unit in Edinburgh.

Mr and Mrs Shaw today said they flew to Cyprus to bring back Mrs Riding after becoming increasingly concerned over her health. The couple had befriended the Ridings when they were neighbours in Preston 14 years ago and remained close since.

Mr and Mrs Riding moved to Pathos nearly 10 years ago when they retired and regularly visited Lancashire. When Mr Riding died in September Mrs Riding stayed with the Shaws at their area of Blackburn for three months.

Mr Shaw said she and his wife flew out with the intention of bringing Mrs Riding back on March 7 but because she was so ill Mrs Riding flew back to Britain alone on March 3 where she was met at Manchester Airport by the Shaw's GP.

He said: "She had no family of her own and she was part of ours. We would ring each other up every other week and we knew her health was deteriorating.

" We went out so we could come back with her and look after her, we though it was better she was back here in her own country. There was nothing we could do when she was 2,000 miles away."

Mr and Mrs Shaw said they were aware of the suspected CJD although said they wanted to wait until the full inquest on May 31 before commenting on it.

Mrs Shaw said: "There are so many different symptoms and it affects old people differently than young ones. Her health deteriorated very rapidly. She was a lovely, lively woman who was so full of life. She loved walking and when did aerobics until recently."

It is widely accepted by scientists that vCJD is caused by BSE agents in humans and the most likely cause of infection is through meat that was contaminated with BSE in the 1980s.

The common theory is that vCJD is a virus that can be passed on through the food chain, but experts at the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Centre at Edinburgh University believe the disease can occur naturally.

The majority of people who contract the disease are between 50 and 75 and the report said there is no direct geographical link between cases.

Today, the family of East Lancashire's other confirmed CJD victim passed on their sympathy to Betty's friends. Anita Bradshaw died last July, leaving her husband Andrew, of Stanley Street, Accrington, to bring up their two children -- Rebecca, seven, and Reece, two -- on his own.

An inquest in December heard that Anita, 30, contracted the disease after eating infected meat.

She had the same gene as several other victims which could have made her more susceptible to the disease.

Today Andrew said: "I have every sympathy for her friends and family. Although tests may suggest it was CJD, it will be several months before it is confirmed and that is one of the worst parts, the waiting. "Also knowing that action could have been taken to prevent deaths like this makes me very angry."