A policewoman drank herself to death because of the stress of the job, an inquest heard today.

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

A post mortem revelaed her liver had collapsed due to alcohol abuse.

An inquest in Middlesbrough heard how Ms Wallace, originally from Huddersfield, had been working as policewoman 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 Pc'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 2001 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 doctors advice and carried on drinking which led to "out of control depression".

At around 10pm on January 13 this year police and paramedics rushed 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 distraught 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 reveraled Ms Wallace that she had died from liver failure due to excess drinking.

Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded the cause of death alcohol abuse.Ms Wallace's family were too distressed to speak after the short hearing.