A 51-year-old artist died at her home in Wookey following a lifelong battle with anorexia, an inquest heard today (November 4).

Sarah Fox, who lived in Vicarage Road, died on June 7 from organ damage caused by a long-standing diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.

Senior Somerset coroner Tony Williams concluded the inquest today with a verdict of death by natural causes, and a cause of death of Miss Fox of being from severe nutritional deficiency and consequent organ damage resulting from the many years of battling anorexia.

The inquest heard that Miss Fox had been found dead by the emergency services, who were called by her mother and step-father after they had failed to get responses to their phone calls and messages.

Miss Fox had been suffering from anorexia since she was 12 years old, which had got worse around the age of 16 when her best friend died of cancer.

She had been admitted to a number of specialist eating disorder hospitals over her lifetime, and at one point was in Exeter Hospital for six months after her body weight dropped to only four stone.

She moved to Wookey last year in a house swap that she was reluctant about, and her health deteriorated over the subsequent months, leading to her not responding to her family or health professionals.

The post mortem by Dr John Mitchard, who is a pathologist at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, found that Miss Fox's Body Mass Index was rated down at nine, where a BMI of 15 is the level associated with extreme anorexia nervosa.

Dr Sarah Trotter, from Wells Health Centre, said that Miss Fox had been registered with the practice in December last year, but despite repeated attempts to contact her due to her continuing health problems associated with the anorexia, they had not managed to get any response.

In concluding the inquest, Mr Williams said that despite a long history or mentoring and therapy, Miss Fox died of natural causes following a lifelong battle with anorexia nervosa.