A 'KIND and caring' mother suddenly died after overdosing on prescribed pain medication on Christmas Eve, an inquest heard.

Nichole Christina Fox, 34, was sadly found dead by her mother at her home on West Bay Road, Bridport on December 24 last year.

An inquest at Bournemouth Town Hall concluded that Ms Fox died after taking too much Tramadol which she was prescribed to treat pain from a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder - causing pain in her jaw - which she had been suffering with since she was 18, but which had been getting worse in the months leading up to her tragic death.

The coroner's verdict was misadventure.

Ms Fox's parents who attended the inquest described their daughter affectionately, and told the court that Ms Fox, a part-time carer, was a social young lady with many friends who liked the great outdoors and was dedicated to her three children.

Her father, Stephen Fox, said she had been very much looking forward to Christmas Day and was particularly proud of the fact it was the first year she had been able to get her children lots of presents.

He said: "What kept her going was Christmas coming up. She was so pleased with herself that she got everything that they wanted."

Mr Fox said his daughter's jaw pain was the worst it had ever been a month or two before her death adding she also injured her back two days prior to her death - causing her additional pain.

The inquest heard that Ms Fox had some past struggles regarding her mental health, past relationships and drug abuse but was in a positive place and was planning to do a nursing course at Weymouth College and get her own place for herself and her family.

Her mother, Kim Fox, said: "I think she was looking forward, she had a five-year plan. She was looking forward, not looking back.

"I truly believe that she didn't realise the consequences of what she was doing."

Mrs Fox last saw her daughter alive before she went to bed and sadly found her daughter collapsed and unresponsive in her bedroom the next morning on Christmas Eve.

Police and paramedics attended and were satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances. The pathologist, Dr Blahut said Ms Fox's post mortem found an excessive amount of Tramadol in her system.

Senior coroner Rachael Griffin told the inquest that she was satisfied that the cause of Ms Fox's death was a Tramadol overdose.

She described Ms Fox as "kind and caring" and said she was a "dedicated mother to her children".

She said: "She was self medicating for the pain she was in. I believe she simply took too much medication to deal with the pain she was in. An intentional act with unintentional consequences.

"I do not believe there was any evidence that she intended to end her life."

She said that Ms Fox's death should be a warning to others of being careful when using prescription medication, in particular pain medication.