Mum died 'from alcohol poisoning' during holiday in Santorini to celebrate break from breast cancer battle

A mum died from alcohol poisoning while on holiday celebrating a break from breast cancer treatment, an inquest heard.

Therapist Valerie Jones, 54, was on the Greek island of Santorini with her husband when tragedy stuck.

She had enjoyed some wine during a day trip and over lunch, and then had some more during dinner.

Mrs Jones then stayed up with a wedding party the couple had met as her husband went to bed.

But he woke several hours later when she failed to return and found her collapsed in the toilet.

Mrs Jones was rushed to hospital but sadly died.

An initial post-mortem exam in Greece found her cause of death on September 27 last year to be a pulmonary oedema, fluid on the lungs.

Mrs Jones had drunk wine on several occasions during the day, the court heard (Image: Twitter)

But an inquest at Bournemouth Coroner's Court heard there was little evidence to support that conclusion.

Instead, Dr Kudair Hussein said Mrs Jones' blood alcohol level was most likely the cause of death, the Daily Mail reports.

"When blood alcohol levels go above 350mg per 100ml, it is not unknown that people can die suddenly," he said.

"My report showed Mrs Jones had 358mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

"On the balance of probability, you can conclude this was the cause of her death."

Santorini

The couple were in Santorini, Greece, celebrating a break from Valerie's cancer treatment (Image: Getty)

The inquest did not hear the exact number of glasses of wine Mrs Jones drank.

But the court was told she did not have a drinking problem.

Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin ruled Mrs Jones's death was due to 'acute alcohol toxicity'.

According to the NHS, alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks "a toxic amount of alcohol, usually over a short period of time".

Signs and symptoms can include confusion, slurred speech, loss of coordination, vomiting, slow breathing or being passed out.

The most severe cases can lead to coma, brain damage and death.

Women are more susceptible to alcohol poisoning as they are generally smaller than men.

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