A WOMAN who was found dead on her bathroom floor had injected a “significant” amount of heroin, an inquest heard.

Mother-of-one Dawn Hirst, 35, was at her home in Beatrice Mews, Horwich, with a friend on the evening of August 13, 2019, when she took a fatal amount of the drug.

Pathologist Dr Patrick Waugh told the inquest at Bolton Coroners Court that Ms Hirst had more than twice the level of heroin in her system than could cause death to even a regular user.

She also had traces of cocaine, alcohol, morphine and diazepam in her system, and Dr Waugh confirmed there was evidence of puncture wounds to her groin.

The inquest heard Ms Hirst, who was born in Preston and grew up in Chorley, had returned hone at around 8pm with a male friend and the pair had watched TV before she had got up to go the toilet.

When she did not return after an hour her friend went to see what had happened and found her face down on the bathroom floor.

He then ran to his mother’s house nearby from where he called the emergency services before Ms Hirst was pronounced dead at around 12.30am.

A syringe was found in the bathroom sink and a needle was found underneath the dead woman’s body.

A quantity of heroin was later found by police officers hidden behind a clock.

Ms Hirst’s mother, Carol Hirst, told the inquest she had struggled with heroin addiction for a number of years and was caught in a “vicious circle” where she would go into rehab before relapsing.

“Dawn was a wonderful daughter, mum, sister and friend with a heart of gold who would help anyone,” said Ms Hirst.

Coroner Rachel Syed recorded a conclusion that Ms Hirst’s death was “drug-related” and expressed sympathy to her mother.