Inquest reveals campaigning mother of murdered Sophie Lancaster died from haemorrhage after surgery

The mother of murdered Sophie Lancaster died as a result of rare complications following an essential surgery, an inquest has heard.

Sylvia Lancaster died aged 69 at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital on the morning of Tuesday 12 April

The inquest at Blackburn Old Town Hall heard she had developed sudden and unexpected catastrophic bleeding.

Sylvia's daughter Sophie, who was 20, was brutally kicked and stamped on as she tried to protect her boyfriend Robert Maltby from a gang of drunken teenagers in Stubbylee Park on 11 August.

The couple were attacked simply because of they were dressed as goths.

As a result, Sylvia dedicated her life to campaigning tirelessly against hate crime and intolerance and set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in the hope no other parent would have to endure her pain.

She was hugely active in projects linked to education, police forces, the law, prisons, conferences, arts, music, radio and TV.

The court heard how the mum, who had been living in Rochdale, was described by doctors as ‘lovely’ and ‘always smiling’ and had suffered from peripheral vascular disease and diabetes.

Sylvia had her right leg amputated in 2018 and returned to hospital for further surgery in December last year, due to suffering gangrene in her left foot.

Due to her veins not being in a good state, the coroner said she had to have a synthetic vein introduced during surgery, with the wound from the operation initially said to be doing well.

However Sylvia then went back to hospital in March 2022 and her wound appeared to have become infected.

The hearing heard how she came in suffering only from shortness of breath and fatigue, and, being found to be anaemic, was given a blood transfusion and antibiotics, as well as oxygen due to low levels.

Yet in an unexpected turn of events, Sylvia suddenly developed catastrophic bleeding, the court was told, sadly passing away just before 8am on 12 April.

Sylvia's son, Adam Lancaster, who was at the inquest, told the hearing that the family received a phone call telling them that she had passed away at around 7.50am, while the court was told that her death was officially registered at 10.58am.

Area Coroner Mr Taylor told the hearing that there were ‘no signs’ beforehand of any swelling or bleeding, adding: “The last thing that the medics expected was for catastrophic bleeding to occur on 12 April.”

Mr Taylor recorded a medical conclusion of hypovolemic shock, which he said would cause the heart to stop, massive haemorrhage from the site of the bypass operation which had taken place in December 2021.

He added: “Sylvia Helen Lancaster died on 12 April, 2022, at Royal Blackburn Hospital from a known, rare complication of essential vascular surgery undertaken on December 18, 2021.”

Turning to her family, he added: “Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss and thank you for coming today.”

Pat Smith and Rossendale Mayor Coun Anne Cheetham with a rose bush donated to Stubbylee Park in memory of Sylvia Lancaster.

Offering his heartfelt condolences to her grieving family, Dr Ahmed Elmetwally, Consultant of Vascular and Endovascular surgery at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, also said, during the hearing: “She was a lovely lady and she was always smiling.”

Sylvia Lancaster's funeral was held at Whitworth in May. Mourners at her funeral included actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Sylvia in a film.

She had been awarded an OBE in 2014, in recognition of her work for ‘community cohesion - especially in reduction of hate crime' and received honorary doctorates from the University of Bolton and the University of Surrey.

A symbolic rose bush, the Sylvia Lancaster rose bush, was planted in the Rossendale park, Stubbylee Park, in memory of her in August.