A BOLTON coroner has warned mental illness is as dangerous as cancer, following the death of a mother.

Tracey Nicholson, aged 41, was found hanged at her home in Battenburg Road, Halliwell.

An inquest into her death heard she had been suffering from depression.

Miss Nicholson’s body was discovered by her partner, John Waters.

Recording her verdict, Bolton coroner Jennifer Leeming said Miss Nicholson had taken her own life while she was suffering from a diagnosed depressive illness.

She added: “It is very clear to me from the evidence that Tracey was very much loved.

“What this shows is that mental illness can be just as dangerous as cancer, we just don’t see it as clearly.”

Miss Nicholson was born in Bolton and studied in the town. After going to catering college, she got a job in a canteen at Norweb and left work when she gave birth to her daughter, Cassie.

Miss Nicholson was unemployed at the time of her death.

The inquest heard how, on July 13, Miss Nicholson was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital after an overdose of medication.

She recovered and met Kelly Bolton, a social worker with the hospital’s crisis team, which helps people to overcome personal problems.

Ms Barton said: “She was very regretful about what she had done and had no further plans to attempt suicide.”

After that meeting, Miss Nicholson did not contact the service again.

On September 20, Mr Waters returned home from work to find Miss Nicholson’s body.

He said: “I tried to help her, but I knew she had died. There was no warning.

She had been fine. We had had a brilliant weekend and there was nothing I can think of that lead to it.

She didn’t leave a note.”

A post-mortem examination revealed there was no alcohol in her body, although there were small amounts of medication Miss Nicholson had been prescribed.