Cranberries star Dolores O'Riordan downed minibar drinks and rang her mother in early hours before she was found drowned in bath

Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan accidentally drowned in the bath after a night of heavy drinking alone in her hotel room, an inquest heard today. 

The Irish singer was found 'face up in the bath dressed in her pyjamas' fully-clothed in the bath of her room at London's Hilton Park Lane on January 15.

The 46-year-old mother-of-three from Kilmallock, County Limerick, who had battled alcoholism, had drunk spirits and champagne and was four times over the legal drinking limit when she died.

Her inquest was held today at Westminster Coroner's Court on what would have been her 47th birthday. There was no evidence or self-harm and no suicide note in her room.

The inquest heard that there were empty bottles in the room - five miniature bottles and a bottle of champagne. 

The hearing, which was attended by O'Riordan's mother Eileen, brother PJ and sister-in-law, was told that she was in touch with room service at around midnight. 

Police found the minibar was activated around 2am, and she phoned her mother at around 3am. She was later found unresponsive and confirmed dead at 9.16am.

PC Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, said: 'I saw Mrs O'Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water.'   
 

'There was a third of a bottle of champagne and several miniature bottles of alcohol. There was a quantity of tablets left that were in the bottles.

'We did a full skin and body check; no marks, no blood in the water, no injuries. There were no signs of disturbance and the door was locked from the inside.'  

Asked by the coroner whether there was any sign of a note, she said: 'Not that we could find. There was nothing left behind - no note.' 





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