COLLEAGUES and relatives have paid tribute to a “popular and dedicated” postal worker and mum-of-two who died at the age of 35.

Stephanie Yeadon was found at her home in Park Avenue, Swarthmoor, after a neighbour’s grandson spotted her unconscious in her garden on August 29 of last year.

Paramedics and police arrived but Mrs Yeadon was pronounced dead at the scene.

At an inquest at Barrow Town Hall yesterday her partner Keith Hindle described how she had struggled with the death of her beloved dog Murphy.

“He was 14; she was very close to him,” Mr Hindle said.

“He had cancer, he had to be put to sleep on Monday August 27.”

The inquest heard Mrs Yeadon, a former member of an award-winning brass band, had sought help for her excessive alcohol consumption, and had been missing her children who had been living with their father at the time.

Mrs Yeadon’s dad Douglas Grindrod fondly described her as “very adventurous but stubborn” and said she had been a governor at Pennington CofE Primary School.

Mr Grindrod spoke to his daughter on the phone the night before she was found and said she was “very, very upset” about Murphy’s death.

The inquest heard how Mrs Yeadon had worked at Ulverston Post Office for around seven years and was an “invaluable member of the team”.

Delivery office manager Thomas Scott said: “She took a very proactive and professional approach to her work.

“Her tragic passing has been felt hard by everyone.”

A post mortem found Mrs Yeadon had a high level of alcohol in her system.

Assistant Coroner Robert Chapman said although the amount was below the average capable of causing toxicity, as Mrs Yeadon had abstained from alcohol for a number of weeks before her death her tolerance would have been reduced.

“She had clearly challenged her consumption of alcohol but the death of her dog on the Bank Holiday Monday appears to have been the tipping point,” he added.

He concluded Mrs Yeadon’s death was alcohol-related.