An elderly woman who was spat at in the face by a young yob in the street, collapsed soon afterwards and died, an inquest has heard.

Roberta Hawes, known as Bobbie, chased the teenager in her electric invalid carriage and cornered him in the foyer of a nearby supermarket.

Mrs Hawes, 72, who had suffered many years of ill health, is believed to have given him a ticking off.

She returned to the home in Hove she shared with husband Edward and asked him to call the police because she was so distressed.

She then went to visit a neighbour but collapsed moments later.

Mrs Hawes, a retired civil servant, died hours later in the operating theatre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, during an emergency operation to repair a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said she had excused Mr Hawes from attending the inquest because he was still extremely upset. His statement was read out to the court.

He said his wife had been determined to keep her independence despite her health problems, which included a hip replacement. She used crutches and her invalid carriage to get around.

Mr Hawes said: "Bobbie had the odd occasion when young kids cut her up on their bikes. She gave as good as she got. She was a true Scot."

When she returned home on March 2 she told him she had been riding her invalid carriage along the pavement in New Church Road, near their home, at about 5.30pm when two boys passed her on their bikes. One of them spat at her, hitting her in the eye.

She turned the carriage round and chased them about 300 metres to the supermarket where she caught up with one of them, who denied spitting.

Police tried unsuccessfully to trace the youngsters.

Sgt James Mann said a witness saw Mrs Hawes remonstrating with the youth. As she turned her invalid carriage to leave she caught the woman's eye, smiled and winked.

Sgt Mann said: "She was a feisty woman and it was totally in her nature to go and confront these youths.

"She was 72 years old and it must have upset her greatly. It was much more serious than a simple common assault. If we could catch these lads it would please me very much."

The inquest heard the aneurysm could have ruptured at any time, but the stress of the incident could have raised her blood pressure and caused it to burst.

Mrs Hamilton-Deeley said: "On the balance of probabilities it is highly likely there is a connection between the incident and the rupture of the aneurysm and her death."

After the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Reg Hooke of Hove police appealed for witnesses.

The boys were about 12 or 13. One had an olive complexion and dark, cropped hair.