Andrea Roche was 66 when she took her own life on a stretch of the M4 last year

Sixty-six year-old Andrea Roche was scared about her former partner returning to the area and the possibility of being readmitted to Prospect Park Hospital for mental health treatment.

In the early hours of October 11 last year, the pensioner took her own life by stepping in front of the Iceland lorry on the London-bound stretch of the motorway.

A coroner investigating her tragic death ruled she died as a result of suicide, after suffering with bipolar disorder, although her family were unaware of the extent of her condition at the time.

Hannah Cattermoul, Ms Roche's daughter, said: "She expressed concern that a former partner was returning home, he made himself apparent to the local GP and she might have considered self-harm at the idea of returning to Prospect Park Hospital."

Ivano Bonci, the driver of the lorry, told the inquest he had no time to avoid Ms Roche as she stepped out onto the carriageway.

Police carried out all necessary checks at the time and confirmed Mr Bonci was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and they did not treat it as suspicious.

The mother-of-three received an upsetting voicemail in the days before her death and, in the early hours of October 11, she left her home in Felthorpe Close, Lower Earley, and avoided all CCTV cameras before making the half an hour walk to the motorway.

She suffered from a range of mental health problems during her life and she was admitted to Prospect Park Hospital on multiple occasions after attempting to overdose, although her last episode of this nature was nearly a decade ago.

No trace of medication or drugs of any kind were found in her system.

Despite extensive investigations, Senior Coroner for Berkshire Peter Bedford said he could not be sure exactly why the 66-year-old stepped in front of the lorry.

He told the inquest at Reading Town Hall: "I think the evidence allows me to confirm that Ms Roche took her own life, with the understanding that she was suffering from bipolar disorder at the time.

"The family did not see it coming and social workers who worked closely with her in the events which preceded her tragic death were unaware that she was at risk of self harm.

"What I cannot answer is why in the early hours of the morning Ms Roche left home, avoided the cameras at her home and wandered onto a stretch of road which would have taken considerable effort to access."

The family suggested their mother had been let down by the mental health system and said she made hysterical claims in the days before her death, which a social worker did not assess to be an indication of relapse.

Matthew Neads, the social worker who was responsible for supporting Ms Roche for a number of years, explained how her condition had fluctuated during the course of a 'strong working relationship' but he did not consider her to be at risk of self harm.

"When I last saw her I did not believe she had any intent to end her own life," he explained.

"She did not display any of the relapse symptoms we expect from patients, although she admitted that she had not taken her medication that morning.

"We had a strong working relationship and I do not believe that she would deliberately try to deceive me."

Mr Bedford was satisfied with the quality of care and recorded a verdict of death by suicide.