An Australian nurse fell to her death after drinking and taking ecstasy, an inquest heard.

Karen Manders, 26, had been to the Big Beach Boutique on Brighton seafront, an event organised by the DJ Fatboy Slim in July.

She suffered severe head injuries after falling 20 feet from railings on to the Lower Promenade as 250,000 partygoers made their way from the beach, the Brighton hearing was told.

We are happy this was properly investigated and we attach no blame to anyone

Jason Manders

Sussex Police at first believed Miss Manders' fall was suspicious.

Bradley Bench, 16, who met Miss Manders moments before the incident at 0130 BST on 14 July, told the inquest he had helped her to her feet and taken her to the railings at the bottom of West Street so she could regain her balance.

'Victim disorientated'

He turned to pick up his mobile phone and when he looked back Miss Manders, a bank nurse at the Homerton Hospital in east London, had fallen.

Fatboy Slim spent �100,000 organising the concert

Pathologist Dr Neera Patel told Wednesday's inquest the nurse had drunk enough to put her twice over the drink-drive limit and had also taken the rave drug ecstasy, also known as MDMA.

She said: "It is likely that she would have been disorientated in terms of not knowing who she was or where she was.

"In my opinion, this level of MDMA, together with the alcohol, would have affected her behaviour."

The Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton Deeley recorded a verdict of accidental death.

After the hearing, Miss Manders' brother Jason, 30, a bar manager from Croydon, said she had planned to travel round Europe with friends two weeks after she died.

He said: "As a family we are satisfied with the verdict.

"We are happy that it was properly investigated and we attach no blame to anyone."