Zoe Eagling, 46, was found dead in her bed after police forced their way into her flat in Norwich's Governors Court on March 13 last year.

Her mother and sister had raised concerns about her as they were unable to contact her and they were waiting outside as officers went in to the property.

Toxicology tests found lethal levels of prescription painkillers, with antidepressant medication, cocaine and alcohol in her system.

An inquest into her death heard Ms Eagling had previously been prescribed painkillers by her GP to treat recurring headaches.

However hospital tests found no cause for the pain and doctors had become concerned she was requesting the medication too frequently.

Her prescription was reduced after clinicians suspected she may have been overusing the drug and further requests from her were refused several times in the years before her death.

Zoe Eagling googled symptoms to obtain prescriptions (Image: Memorial)

Her younger sister, Clare Marrison, told the hearing her sibling had developed what she described as a reliance on the prescription medication.

Ms Marrison said her sister had been researching ways patients could obtain prescriptions online.

“She would google systems and ways of describing symptoms and then relay that information to doctors to obtain the medication,” she added.

Ms Marrison told the court her sister, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend and was estranged from her adult son, had also begun using cocaine more frequently.

She said Ms Eagling had lost a significant amount of weight and often appeared "twitchy".

She added that her sister would ask to borrow money once or twice a week, claiming it was to buy food or pay bills. But her sister began to suspect it was to fund the cocaine habit.

She had asked to borrow £60 the day before she died.

Zoe Eagling was found dead in bed by police after concern grew for her welfare (Image: Memorial)

The court heard there was no evidence of third-party involvement and police confirmed the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Yvonne Blake, the coroner, said there was no evidence that Ms Eagling had intended to take her own life. She concluded the death was drug and alcohol related.

Family members described Ms Eagling as someone who had struggled at times and been "unlucky in love" but who was also deeply loved.

Ms Marrison told the court her sister remained close to her family despite the difficulties she had faced.

“She was a perfect sister and a brilliant aunt to my children,” she said

© Eastern Daily Press