A SHOPKEEPER from Tisbury lost her balance and died after falling down a flight of stairs at home, an inquest heard.

Isobel Gurrie, 60, was found by a friend at the bottom of the stairs at her home in High Street, Tisbury more than two days after she is believed to have fallen.

An inquest at Salisbury Coroner’s Court on Friday heard that Ms Gurrie ran the shop, Sarum Herbs, below her flat. Her friend and fellow shopkeeper Marilyn Adlem told the inquest she had seen Ms Gurrie on Friday, January 11 and Ms Gurrie was expecting a friend to visit over the weekend.

When Ms Adlem noticed the shop wasn’t open on the Saturday she wasn’t concerned as she thought Ms Gurrie was spending time with her friend.

But when the shop was still closed on Monday she became concerned and rang Ms Gurrie’s partner Graham Pratchett, who was away.

He asked her to check the flat and she discovered Ms Gurrie’s body.

A post mortem examination confirmed Ms Gurrie had drunk enough alcohol that her motor functions would have been impaired.

Mr Pratchett told the inquest his partner was not a heavy drinker and he thought she had got up in the night to go to the bathroom and had lost her balance.

She died from head and chest injuries consistent with a fall.

Assistant deputy coroner Ian Singleton said: “On the balance of probabilities I am satisfied that at some point during the evening of Friday, January 11 and morning of Saturday, January 12 while attempting to go to the bathroom she fell down the stairs.”

Verdict: Accidental death.