A ‘lovely, popular lady’ died after a piece of quiche got stuck in her throat, a coroner ruled at an inquest hearing.

Louise ‘Lou-Lou’ Gorry died after getting into difficulties during a meal time at the Woodlands View sheltered housing complex in Magpie Crescent, Stevenage.

Coroner Edward Thomas recorded a verdict of accidental death for the 87-year-old who died on May 9.

At the time of her death Mrs Gorry was listed as a ‘do not resuscitate’ resident, the coroner’s court in Hatfield was told.

On the day of her death she was being fed sitting in bed by a careworker, who called an ambulance when she realised something was wrong.

Mr Thomas said: “From what I have heard she sounds like she was a lovely lady. She seems to have been quite a popular person.

“From what I have heard the staff seem to have been particularly upset when she died.”

Mrs Gorry moved to Stevenage six years ago from London after the death of her third husband John, to whom she had been married for seven years.

Her stepson Robert Clark, speaking after the inquest, said Mrs Gorry was a retired shoe factory worker whose health had deteriorated significantly over the last 18 months leading her to be placed on an ‘all-care’ plan.

Mr Clark, 62, said: “She was so full of life until she got ill.

“She was a party girl and loved to have fun and she liked to go to bingo and have a laugh.

“She was very happy in the home, she was very independent and didn’t want to be there, but she was well happy there. She was happy to have people to talk to.”

Staff at the Bupa-run home said she was very popular with careworkers and enjoyed having her nails done and dressing up for Halloween.