The sister of a York heroin addict who tragically died at the age of 30 has spoken out about the death and appealed to other drug users to let it be a reminder of the consequences of drug abuse.

Julie Stimpson spoke yesterday after the inquest into her sister, Beverley Ann Stimpson's death, at York District Hospital on May 11 last year - after injecting herself with Class A drugs on the ward.

Julie said: "I would say to anyone who's taking drugs to go to their doctors and get some help. Or they could end up dead like my little sister.

"We did our hardest for her but she just couldn't kick the habit. She was addicted to drugs and alcohol and she had been for many years.

"As a family we are heartbroken, especially as she leaves behind an 11-year-old son whom she adored."

Beverley, of Invicta Court, Acomb, died in York District Hospital after spending three nights there last May.

Jayne Arscott was a nurse on the ward where she was being treated for symptoms of liver disease and hepatitis C, brought about by drug and alcohol abuse, and for generally feeling "very unwell".

In evidence she said she checked on Beverley just after 2am on May 11 and found her to be drowsy and unable to speak with her hands in her handbag.

She said she saw a syringe poking out of the bag and examined it. At the nurse's station, she opened it and also found a silver spoon, a tube of glue, silver foil and two small wrappers containing white powder.

When she returned, she found Beverley dead. Attempts to resuscitate her failed.

Miss Arscott said patients' bags are not searched when they go into hospital and added: "She could have taken heroin at any time and in any part of the hospital in the three days she was a patient."

The coroner Donald Coverdale recorded a verdict of drug dependency, saying the primary cause of her death was a high dose of heroin and the secondary cause was liver and renal failure due to Hepatitis C which was caused by intravenous drug abuse.

Updated: 10:31 Friday, February 16, 2001