THE wife of former Bolton Wanderers footballer Colin Hendry died in hospital after a bug in her body spread to her brain causing meningitis, an inquest has heard.

Denise Hendry, aged 43, whose husband was nicknamed "Braveheart" as captain of Scotland, endured an agonising seven-year battle with illness after disastrous liposuction surgery in April 2002, Bolton Coroner's Court heard.

The mother-of-four suffered punctures to her bowel nine times during the "routine" surgery performed by doctor Gustaf Aniansson, at the private Broughton Park Hospital near Preston, Lancashire.

It left Mrs Hendry with terrible injuries to her stomach area, beginning a "chain of events" which led to a series of operations to correct the damage.

She died in July 2009 following "high risk" surgery at the Salford Royal Hospital, the inquest into her death, now in its second day, has heard.

Today, Dr Chinari Subudhi, a microbiologist at the hospital, said he took samples from Mrs Hendry while she was in intensive care after the last 16-hour operation, on April 22, 2009.

Dr Subudhi said in his opinion a bacteria, Klebsiella, which can occur naturally in the gut, had spread from her stomach to her lungs and then to her brain.

Earlier in the hearing Mr Hendry, who had a distinguished club career as a defender with the Whites, Rangers, Dundee and Blackburn Rovers, described his wife's courage during her long battle against illness, describing her as "beautiful inside and out."

Dr Aniansson, who is believed to be still practising in his native Sweden, sent a short written statement claiming the operation he carried out on Mrs Hendry "proceeded uneventfully".

The hearing is expected to conclude today.