Woman lay dead in restaurant toilet for two days

Sabrina Lyttle, pictured with her daughter Jade Casey as a baby, had been in the toilet for about 48 hours

A mother-of-two lay dead in the disabled toilet of a restaurant for two days just yards from paying customers, her family said.

Sabrina Lyttle, 47, entered The Gurkha restaurant in Blackpool on 28 November but did not re-emerge and was found by staff on 30 November.

Her mother and daughter said they were "shocked and disgusted" when an officer from Lancashire Police explained the circumstances.

A spokesperson for The Gurkha told the BBC Ms Lyttle had gained access to the locked toilet without their knowledge.

The Gurkha Restaurant in Waterloo Road, Blackpool, said Ms Lyttle had accessed the disabled toilet without its knowledge

Her daughter Jade Casey, a mental health practitioner, said her mother had battled with severe drug addiction for about 25 years but the cause of her death remains unclear.

"It's been the hardest Christmas I've ever had," she said.

Ms Casey, 27, said police had told her there were no drugs at the scene and natural causes had not been ruled out.

The results of a post-mortem examination are still to be released.

Sabrina's mother and Ms Casey's grandmother Christine Lyttle, 68, said: "Everybody loved her.

"Even when she was on the street, nobody had a bad word to say about her.

"She was just a normal person when she was not on the drugs, but sadly the drugs took over."

Ms Lyttle was released from prison the day before her death after serving a short sentence for theft, and had spent the night in a bed and breakfast.

The Gurkha said Ms Lyttle had entered the premises at 20:34 GMT and asked to use the toilet.

Sabrina Lyttle had struggled to shake her addiction to drugs but had managed several periods of sobriety

The spokesperson said she was directed to another area of the building, which also houses a bar and hotel, and not to the disabled toilet which it said was accessible only by a key requested from staff.

It said no other customers requested access to the disabled toilet until 22:00 on 29 November but when neither they nor staff could open the door, it was logged as a "maintenance issue".

On Saturday 30 November, management tried to open the door before opening hours and had to remove the locking mechanism, which is when Ms Lyttle was discovered.

The spokesperson added: "We are aware of public posts that are full of information that is not correct, and we believe the speculations have not contributed positively to anyone affected, including the grieving family, the dedicated Gurkha staff and the community of Blackpool."

Sabrina Lyttle was described as "bright" and "wonderful" by her mum Christine, pictured on the right

"We are aware of an ongoing inquest and will not be making any further public comments."

Christine Lyttle, originally from Birmingham, said she found it hard to comprehend that just yards from where her daughter's body was located customers were eating and enjoying themselves.

"I thought staff had to check on toilets regularly," she said.

Ms Lyttle said her daughter was "very bright" and had studied law at college before "falling in with the wrong crowd" and taking drugs.

Ms Casey said her mother had years-long intervals of sobriety but had been unable to kick the habit permanently.

"I spoke to her on the phone before she was released," Ms Casey said.

"She said she was going to get better when she came home and get herself a flat.

"We had no idea she was going to be released on the Wednesday [November 27].

Lancashire Police confirmed officers had been called to the scene of a sudden death on Victoria Road in Blackpool, which it was not treating as suspicious.

Blackpool Council said the matter had not been formally referred to it for investigation but confirmed it would speak to the operator of the restaurant when it re-opens after Christmas.

Police said a file had been prepared for the coroner and an inquest into Ms Lyttle's death is due to take place on 3 April in Blackpool.