NOBODY was to blame for the death of a young mother just hours into the New Year, an inquest heard.

Mother-of-two Tanya Varty was discovered unresponsive in bed by her partner after breathing in vomit at her home in Stanley at about 4am on New Year’s Day.

Following desperate attempts by her partner, with whom she had two young children, and paramedics to resuscitate her she died later that morning in University Hospital of North Durham.

Senior assistant coroner for County Durham and Darlington, Crispin Oliver concluded the 24-year-old died a “natural death following vomiting and aspiration of stomach contents”.

An inquest in Crook yesterday heard on New Year’s Eve Miss Varty had consumed some alcohol and was described as “merry”.

She had been enjoying festivities with family and friends, and walked friends home before returning home herself where she and her partner went to bed.

A post-mortem led Mr Oliver to rule out any alcohol and substance misuse. “It’s absolutely clear from the evidence that everybody did everything they could for her,” he added. “Nobody is to blame for this. It is an unusual event and the usual causes of this are not apparent from the evidence.”

Mr Oliver said it was unclear what caused her to vomit but it could have been a combination of food and alcohol, adding: “Tolerance might have had something to do with it.”

After the hearing Miss Varty’s family said: “It was tragic and she will be sadly missed by everybody, family and friends. She lived for her kids. Her kids have a good father and they will be well looked after. She was a young and beautiful woman and a doting mother.”

Commending the near dozen family members for attending, Mr Oliver added: “This sort of situation is always tragic. There’s always questions that will be asked and I hope we have addressed as many as we can on the basis of the evidence and that we have established a cause of death and conclusion which is acceptable to her, her memory and her kids.”