A 20-YEAR-OLD woman died of a morphine overdose in her boyfriend’s Ellesmere Port flat.

West Cheshire College student Aimee Valentine died at the flat on Percival Road, Ellesmere Port, on June 17 last year.

On Thursday the inquest into her death determined the cause of death as morphine toxicity, along with intoxication by other drugs including sleeping pills.

Aimee’s family, including mum Lisa and brother Hugh, lived in Bangor-in-Dee but Aimee had been staying with her 30-year-old boyfriend shortly after spending a month in Australia with her mum.

Her boyfriend was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and possession of controlled drugs but was released without charge.

At the inquest at Chester Magistrates Court on Thursday, the coroner said: “Aimee had spent the night at her boyfriend’s property and he had told paramedics, police, his mental health project team and his neighbour she had consumed a quantity of oromorph prescribed for him and four nitrazapan tablets which had not been prescribed for either of them, in order to assist her to sleep.

“In reality, she had also consumed a large quantity of various un-prescribed central nervous system depressing medications including a toxic level of morphine, which was established by post-mortem toxicological analysis.

“This resulted in the cause of death given as morphine toxicity with mixed drug intoxication.”

VERDICT: Narrative.

Later this summer Aimee’s brother Hugh will cycle from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in his sister’s memory.

From August 26 to September 1, Aimee’s brother Hugh will cycle the 1,000-mile journey for YoungMinds, a charity committed to improving the emotional well-being and mental health of children and young people.

Hugh, 25, is training three times a day six times a week by cycling, running and weightlifting.

He said: “I have a passion for exercise and can see myself increasing the difficulty and completing another challenge every year. I want to help those who aren’t as fortunate as me as much as I possibly can and doing that in memory of my sister is a good way to keep her spirit alive.”

You can sponsor him at www.justgiving.com/Valentine-Hugh.