A PENSIONER suffered a blood clot and died on Christmas Eve after breaking her ankle tripping up a step on the island of Gozo.

Worcestershire County Coroner's Court heard how 76-year-old Phyllis Stones had the accident on November 11 while on holiday visiting her son.

Rather than be operated on abroad, Mrs Stones, of Cheshire Avenue in Stourport, opted to have a plaster back slab put on her injury and she came home to be treated.

The court heard how she was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital on her return and had an operation on November 19.

She was discharged on December 12 and seemed to be progressing well but later had to be admitted to a nursing home.

From there, she was transferred back to hospital on December 23, where she died on Christmas Eve.

Pathologist Paul Dunne gave the cause of death as a pulmonary embolism due to leg vein thrombosis caused by immobility following a broken ankle. A verdict of accidental death was recorded.