An ambulance was called, and paramedics noted the 79-year-old's living conditions were “in a very poor state” and that she was “unkempt”.

Ms Smith was taken to hospital where tests found her right leg was cold to the touch and pulseless.

She was also described as “frail and dehydrated and nutritionally depleted”.

Doctors confirmed she presented "far later” than the hospital would have expected, by which time it was “too late to change the outcome”.

Due to her condition, she was unable to be operated on or undergo an amputation. As a result, she was placed in palliative care and died at the hospital on August 27.

Norfolk Coroner's Court in Norwich (Image: Denise Bradley) An inquest at Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard that the retired housewife had continued to live in her late partner’s home since his death in 2015, continuing to enjoy hobbies such as cooking and gardening.

Her........

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