A POLICE officer drank herself to death because of the stress of the job, an inquest heard yesterday.

Katrina Wallace, 38, was found by a colleague slumped over the arm of her sofa after a neighbour raised the alarm.

A post-mortem examination revealed that her liver had failed due to alcohol abuse.

An inquest in Middlesbrough heard how Ms Wallace, originally from Huddersfield, had been working as police officer in Stockton with the Cleveland force at the time of her death.

In 1997, she went to her GP complaining of depression related to work and was given counselling and anti-depressants.

She returned to work after sickness, but her doctor, Bruce Davis, told the inquest how the officer's mental condition began to deteriorate and she turned to drink.

The death of her mother in April 1999 led to increased depression, and in January last year the break-down of her long-term relationship led her to reveal to her GP that there was "no point in life".

Ms Wallace was offered counselling with the drugs action team but ignored her doctor's advice and carried on drinking, which led to "out of control depression".

At about10pm on January 13 this year, police and paramedics went to Ms Wallace's house in Pembroke Drive, Ingleby Barwick, after a 999 call from a concerned passer-by.

Police smashed their way into the home after seeing her slumped over a sofa through the window. But there were no signs of life and paramedics said she had been dead for some time.

Her brother, John, 48, travelled to Middlesbrough to identify his sister's body as a full inquiry was launched.

But the investigation was halted when a post-mortem examination revealed that Ms Wallace had died from liver failure due to excess drinking.

Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded the cause of death as alcohol abuse.

Ms Wallace's family were too distressed to speak after the short hearing.

Chief Superintendent John Tough, district commander for Stockton Police, said he was saddened that Ms Wallace's promising career had ended so tragically. "She will be missed by colleagues and our thoughts are with her friends and family," he said.