A DRUNKEN woman was nearly four times over the drink-drive limit when she died in a three-car collision on a Worcester road.

Anne Holland, aged 52, had been drinking on Sunday, November 10, before she attempted to drive along the B4638 through Warndon, an inquest was told yesterday.

She later registered 384mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - 4.75 times the legal limit.

"Occasionally people have died from that level of alcohol alone, though not in this case," said Worcestershire coroner Victor Round.

"But it would have a very dramatic affect on someone's ability to drive a motor car."

Eyewitnesses saw her white Ford Sierra swerve on to the wrong side of the road about 75 yards after Mill Wood Drive, on the way towards Middle Hollow Drive, Worcester

One car, a blue MGF, mounted the kerb but was unable to avoid a head-on collision with Mrs Holland's vehicle. A following white Ford Escort also collided with the two cars.

The other drivers suffered minor grazes, but Mrs Holland, of Lichfield Avenue, Worcester, who was not wearing a seat belt, lacerated a vein in the incident.

She died shortly afterwards at Worcestershire Royal Hospital - with liver sclerosis and portal hypertension attributed as the cause - and her body was identified the next day.

All three cars were later found to be in good working order before the collision.

The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.