AN AMBULANCE ‘took two hours’ to respond when a Llwyngwril pensioner fell down the stairs, an inquest has heard.

Seventy-year-old Janet Franklin sustained severe head injuries on 6 October in her home after falling down her stairs, and died from her injuries two days later in Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth.

An inquest in Aberystwyth heard how Mrs Franklin had spent the evening drinking wine with her neighbour, Paul Carley, before leaving for home at around 11pm.

According to the witness, Mrs Franklin was “drunk but okay” and “seemed steady enough on her feet”.

Soon after, Mr Carley said he heard “two loud thuds” and went to see what had happened.

“I found her at the foot of the stairs and then dialled 999,” he told the inquest.

“I called three times but the ambulance took well over two hours to arrive, it was on its way somewhere else and had to come back.

“I thought she was dead at first but then I heard her make a sound like snoring – she was flat out at the bottom of the stairs, face down with her legs in the air.

"I was told to turn her over but I couldn’t, she was too heavy.

“The staircase is very steep, you do slip on it, I’ve fallen down it a few times myself.”

“There is a thin carpet and bannister though,” Mr Carley told the coroner.

The Welsh Ambulance Service had also been out to attend Mrs Franklin after a fall the week previous to her fatal accident, the inquest heard.

Given the severities of her injuries, even though the ambulance was “a long time coming” the wait did not affect the outcome of the case, according to coroner Peter Brunton.

He also said that he had been “mystified” by the presence of car batteries at top of Mrs Franklin’s staircase but these had been placed there by Mr Carley as she was hoping to get her car back on the road.

Mr Brunton did not conclude that the batteries, and the charging cables attached, were the cause of the fall as he believed the cables would have been dragged down the stairs with her had she tripped on them.

The pathologist ruled that the pensioner suffered severe head injuries and a subdural haematoma which were consistent with a fall. There were also signs of severe cirrhosis in her liver.

Mr Brunton gave a verdict of accidental death.