A schizophrenic woman was found dead on her bed next to a half-drunk cup of tea, with post dating back a month piled up outside her door.

On April 25 this year, a care worker who regularly visited 52-year-old Catherine Bazovsky’s home in Grafton Road, Kentish Town, called police because no-one answered the door and post was mounting up.

Pc Gary Tomlinson noticed a strong smell from a half-open window and forced entry, an inquest heard at St Pancras Coroner’s Court last Wednesday.

Catherine’s decomposing body was found inside and Pc Tomlinson confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

Catherine’s mother, Muriel, told the inquest that the last time she saw her daughter they had an argument over cooking and Catherine, who has an estranged twin sister in Australia, walked out.

She explained: “Our last contact was before Easter. We had a silly argument over some pears.”

She said it was not uncommon for the two to go a month without speaking but they would always make up.

Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said that schizophrenics “generally have a higher risk of unexpectedly dying”.

She said Catherine’s body was far too seriously decomposed to determine a cause of death.

She added: “It would simply seem that she had fallen asleep and not woken up, having had a cup of tea. It was peaceful.”

Dr Radcliffe recorded a verdict of death by natural causes that were unascertained.

Speaking outside court, Muriel Bazovsky said: “I wish she was back and we could have a laugh.

“We laughed at neighbours, at friends. We were a bit naughty.”