A WOMAN deliberately gassed herself in a car two days before Christmas, an inquest heard.

Lesley Hirst, 37, of Cutler Lane, Stacksteads, was found dead by her ex-boyfriend in her car at Old Farm, Hapton, where she worked, on December 22 last year, the inquest at Burnley Magistrates was told.

Ms Hirst was said to have had a history of depression but had covered up the true extent of her feelings, which were only revealed in her diary after her death.

Coroner Richard Taylor said that in her diary she explained that she found the break-up with her ex boyfriend, Eli Tattersall, difficult and was hopeful they would get back together but he did not reciprocate her feelings.

Her mother Helen Howard told the inquest: "Lesley was always a perfectionist, she gave 100 per cent. Anything less than that she saw as being a failure and would get extremely upset about it.

"A previous boyfriend had come to me about concerns he had saying that he was worried about her but I thought that he was just being a bit funny about the relationship.

"She had been into Burnley General Hospital after previously taking an overdose and doctors there had tried to section her but she had talked her way out of it saying that she would never do anything like this again.

"But nearer to her death she hid her true feelings very well and convinced everyone that she was ok and nothing was amiss."

Mr Tattersall had been due to appear at the inquest but did not attend.

In a statement read to the hearing Mr Tattersall said he had seen Ms Hirst the night before her death and she had been dressed up for an evening out.

Mr Tattersall had questioned her about her clothes and she explained that she was going out and would see him in the morning.

In the morning Mr Tattersall went to the farm where he also worked and heard an engine running. He went around to see who was there and saw Ms Hirst's body in her car.

Dr Ahmed Ad-Dawoud who performed the post mortem examination said the cause of death was the toxic effect of the carbon monoxide from the car fumes combined with alcohol.

Mr Taylor recorded a suicide verdict. He said: "The intention that she intended to end her life was clear from her notes in her diary and from the hose pipe being attached to the car's exhaust."