Sarah Alice (Sally) Hopley was staying at the Iddenshall Hall Care Home near Tarporley for a week in December because a stair-lift was being fitted at her home, a Chester inquest heard.

Mrs Hopley lived with her elderly niece Kathleen Mary Turner in Clotton, Tarporley, and was brought up in Marbury, near Whitchurch.

The inquest was told Mrs Hopley was in good health and had only started walking with a stick for the last few months of her life.

A report from Dr Nigel O'Callaghan, of Tarporley Health Centre, said Mrs Hopley was generally healthy and had few medical complaints, but shortly before her death she had had some difficulty swallowing.

On December 16 Mrs Hopley, a retired mother's help, was visited by Mrs Turner at about 10am.

Mrs Turner said: "She had forgotten her wristwatch so I brought it to her in the morning.

"She had had her breakfast and was sitting up in her chair and she looked wonderful."

Mrs Turner returned home and later got a phone call from the home to say that she had died.

"It was a terrific shock," Mrs Turner said.

A carer at the home, Elizabeth Jane Studley, told the hearing she got Mrs Hopley her breakfast on December 16. "She stayed in her room with the newspaper and the television," she said.

Mrs Studley said she took Mrs Hopley a Sunday lunch which she ate on a tray as normal.

Afterwards she brought her a dessert of rhubarb crumble and custard.

She said she then heard the bell ringing and another carer, Marion
James, went to see that Mrs Hopley was all right.

Mrs Studley said: "If we knew she had problems swallowing we would never have left her unsupervised."

Mrs James gave evidence and said: "When the bell was ringing I went straight to see Sally, I believe in about 30 seconds.

"She was trying to say something to me and I just didn't know what."

Mrs James asked fellow carer Mrs Studley to come and help her.

"She was lifeless so we got her on the floor and we tried everything," Mr James said.

Cheshire Police confirmed there was no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

A post-mortem examination by Dr Jacqueline Elder said Mrs Hopley's laryngeal inlet contained partially digested food which completely blocked her airways.

Dr Janet Napier recorded a verdict of misadventure. "It's nice to know she was able to be in her own home at her age of 103," she said.

"She did have a previous medical problem of renal failure and swallowing and problems with her ankles but really on the whole she was remarkably well for her age."