A MOTHER today said she was waiting for another timebomb to explode in her family after the unexpected deaths of her husband and son.

Julie Mellilieu, 54, has lost both her husband Frank Jolly, 51 and her youngest son Paul Jolly, 26, of Highfield Road, Blackburn, who died sudden and unexplained deaths.

Frank died 13 years ago in his sleep and Paul died less than four months ago on May 24. Both deaths were put down to natural causes.

But Julie, of Warehouse Lane, Foulridge, is determined to find out the true cause after a pathologist recommended members of her family undergo urgent medical checks.

She said: "I have been scrolling through the internet for hours on end to find answers because at the moment it is like walking around on egg shells waiting for a time bomb to explode and take another member of the family."

The inquest into Paul's death heard his father had died suddenly when he was 52, prompting Mrs Mellilieu to express concerns that the deaths may be linked.

Mrs Mellilieu told the inquest that she has another son, Noel, 29, of Darwen, and a daughter Anna, 19, of Foulridge, who is expecting her first baby and that she was concerned for them and for Paul's children, June Marie, five and Francesca, three.

The children are now to be screened to see if they need potentially life-saving treatment.

Mrs Mellilieu raised the subject of Long QT Syndrome, also known as sudden adult death syndrome.

But coroner Michael Singleton said living tissue would be needed to establish the existence of that kind of irregularity.

"There may well have been irregular heartbeat but that is something of a guess and to guess what caused it would be even more difficult," he said.

Dr Richard Prescott, who carried out the post mortem examination, said there was nothing to suggest the death was from anything other than natural causes but there was nothing to indicate the cause.

Asked if it could be genetic and affecting other members of the family, Dr Prescott said it would be appropriate for Mr Jolly's siblings and children to be examined.

"It would be appropriate for such tests to be carried out reasonably urgently," he added.

The inquest heard that Mr Jolly, a service engineer, in Blackburn, was driving past a former workplace at Nationwide Access Platforms in Hollin Bridge Street when he was waved down by a friend, Graham Wilkinson.

Mr Wilkinson asked his friend if he wanted to come into the factory for a brew and Mr Jolly said 'yes'. He said he went into the factory but his friend, who he assumed was parking his car, never followed and he was found slumped over the steering wheel.

The dead man's partner, Rachel Burgess, 26, said they had lived together for seven years and have two children aged five and three.

Mr Jolly had seemed fine and she said he had never complained of shortness of breath or panting.

Recording a verdict of natural causes, Mr Singleton said: "Hopefully the family now has a way forward in terms of investigating as to whether any other family members may be suffering from some genetic problems.

"I have no doubt if this can be identified it can be treated and I will be happy to write to any of the GPs involved to assist them."

The hearing came a week after an inquest into the death of Victoria Patricia Dean, 13, of Gib Lane, Hoghton, who became the fifth member of her family to die of Long QT Syndrome.