PENSIONER Irene Tranter, 83, took a taxi to a canalside beauty spot to drown herself, an inquest heard on Friday.

Retired nurse Mrs Tranter had tried twice before to jump into the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal at Purton but had been pulled back by her partner, Raymond Cox.

But her third attempt on January 30 succeeded after she summoned a taxi to her Patchway home in South Gloucestershirel while Mr Cox was out buying a paper.

Mrs Tranter's daughter, Margaret Latham, from Wolverhampton, said in a statement her mother had never fully got over a tragedy many years ago when her 11-year-old handicapped daughter fell to her death from a school bus.

However, having retired at 60, she led a happy and interesting social life with her partner, an easy-going man with a soft and gentle nature.

Despite the contented relationship Mrs Tranter had taken an overdose about 20 years ago and been admitted to hospital. None of the family could understand why she did it.

In January last year Mrs Latham, on holiday in Florida, and rang her mother, who said she was unwell and her head seemed "empty". From that time on she had stopped doing housework and cooking and she refused to eat. She then took another overdose and the family became increasingly worried.

Mrs Latham went on: "She asked Ray to take her to the canal in the Purton area but he refused as the last time they had gone there she had tried to jump in and he had to stop her. On January 25 she said all she wanted to do was die because she couldn't cope any more."

On January 30 her mother went missing from home and her partner went to Purton looking for her. She was found dead in the canal the next day.

In a statement Mr Cox said she had taken overdoses about four times.

He and Irene would sometimes to go the canal at Purton for walks and they liked it there, he said.

"Last summer she tried to jump in and I managed to pull her back. She would ask on other occasions for me to take her there but I knew she wanted to jump in to take her life so I refused.

"In January we went and she pulled away from me and headed down the bank towards the canal. I pulled her back again. That was the last time I took her because I refused her requests to take her there again."

Taxi driver Graham Rance said he was called to pick Mrs Tranter up and take her to Purton. They got to a cottage she said she was visiting and she paid him the fare of £27. He noticed she had only £3 left.

He helped her up the steps towards the house and then waited to see her go inside. But she stood knocking at the door, getting no reply. Eventually she waved to him to go, saying she would be all right.

Mrs Tranter's GP, Dr Ray Goggins, said despite her depression she always denied any suicidal ideas and claimed she had a desire to live.

The coroner said he believed Mrs Tranter was only pretending she knew anyone at the house. He was also struck by the fact she did not have enough money for a taxi home and had clearly taken a "one-way ticket" to Purton.