A grandmother who tripped over in her home died of “unsurvivable” injuries, an inquest heard this morning.

Rita Quelch, of Friern Grove, West Hendon, fell over a carpet while carrying her lunch on Saturday, February 16, but was not found until the following morning when a friend called in to check on her.

The 87-year-old, who also suffered from arthritis as well as coronary heart disease, died two weeks after the fall at Barnet General Hospital, on March 12.

She had a long-standing arrangement with her friend and neighbour, June Wilcox, that the pair would meet for breakfast every morning at around 8am.

The two friends had last seen each other at around 2.30pm on the Saturday, but Mrs Wilcox told Barnet Coroners Court she became worried when her neighbout did not arrive as usual on the Sunday.

She said: “We usually give each other a bit of leeway but I just knew something wasn’t right. I phoned her and she didn’t pick up the phone.

“I called on my son who lives in the same street and we went in and saw her lying on the bottom of the stairs. She still had her lunch in her hands.

“My son tried to talk to her but she could only grunt in pain.”

The retired machinist was found with an open wound on the front side of her forehead and two black eyes.

Paramedic Karen McDonald arrived at the scene just after 9.30am and said she found her lying on the floor unconscious.

After giving her oxygen and blankets to warm her up, a second crew took her to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.

She was left paralysed by the fall, but regained consciousness and her daughter Rosemary Webb said she appeared to be in good spirits despite her injuries.

But when she was transferred to Barnet General Hospital, in Wellhouse Lane, on March 5 her condition began to rapidly deteriorate.

Dr Timothy Gluck, her consultant physician at Barnet General, said she developed a chest infection and pneumonia as a result of her fall.

He added: “She was already weak and frail with her heart problems and arthritis, so everything was stacked against her. But she didn’t suffer.”

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Andrew Walker said: “When she fell, the injuries she sustained were not survivable.”