A RETIRED teacher fell backwards down three steps at an adult education centre and died from a fractured skull three days later, an inquest heard on Wednesday, October 24.

Mrs Erica Saunders, 72, of Cassiobury Park Avenue, Watford, hit her head on a concrete floor outside an education centre in Hatch End, Hornsey Coroner's Court heard.

Her husband, Mr David Saunders, a retired industrial researcher, said they had gone to the centre for a creative writing class at about 9.30am on Wednesday, May 23.

He told the inquest: "She reached out to grab the hand rail and missed it. I was on the step in front and heard her cry out. When I turned around she was lying on her back and there was a lot of blood pouring out of her nose."

His wife was unconscious for about 15 minutes but came round in the ambulance on the way to Northwick Park Hospital.

Consultant surgeon Peter McDonald said as well as suffering a fractured skull, a CT scan revealed Mrs Saunders had a "very small and insignificant" bleed inside the skull over the brain.

Mrs Saunders then fell into a coma and another scan showed bleeding all over the brain.

Dr McDonald added: "There wasn't anything neurolog- ically that could have been done for Mrs Saunders."

She died on Saturday, May 26.

Mr Huw Saunders, of Stoke Newington, said his mother's health had been poor and she had suffered epilepsy, anaemia, gastritis and shingles.

Pathologist Dr Rufus Crompton said Mrs Saunders' condition was inoperable but as she lost consciousness she would not have suffered. He gave the cause of death as subdural and cerebral haemorrhage with laceration of the brain due to a fractured skull.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death and described it as a "sad and tragic end to a vigorous life".

October 25, 2001 19:35