A MOTHER who waited more than four years for an inquest into the death of her daughter in York today branded the hearing "a whitewash."

Sheila Barry was speaking out after York Coroner Donald Coverdale ruled that her daughter, ME sufferer Carli Barry, committed suicide, and said that police could not have been expected to prevent her death.

The inquest heard that Carli took an overdose of codeine in the early hours of February 8, 2001 - her 27th birthday - and died some time between 10.23am and 12.23pm that day.

Police were called by her boyfriend, Dan Covell, at about 8.20am, soon after he discovered her disappearance from their home, off Holgate Road.

Mrs Barry said she saw a police car parked at 9am only metres away from where her daughter's body was eventually discovered nine days later at the rear of St Paul's Church, beside Holgate Bridge.

Forensic expert Professor Alexander Forrest said that if Carli had been discovered before midday on the day she disappeared, her life could have been saved.

Mr Coverdale said police began searching between one-and-a-half and three-and-a-half hours before Carli died, but said: "I don't think there can be a reasonable expectation on behalf of the police to find her in that time scale."

But Mrs Barry said today she believed there was a reasonable expectation that a properly-conducted police search would have found Carli within hours, potentially saving her life.

"I think it was a whitewash," she said. "I really think somebody should be called to account."

She raised several questions during the inquest concerning the police search, but they were deemed outside the coroner's jurisdiction.

Solicitor for North Yorkshire Police, Lindsey Hall, said complaints by the Barry family had not been upheld by the Police Complaints Commission.

Mr Coverdale cited Mrs Barry's determination to find out how and why her daughter died as one of the reasons for the four-year delay in proceedings. "I have considered it would have been premature to conclude this inquest until her inquiries were concluded." He praised her efforts.

He said difficult toxicological evidence had been another problem and, ultimately, the long delay prevented a "miscarriage of justice" in the eyes of Carli's family.

Mr Covell said Carli had battled with ME for several years and suffered from depression. She had previously talked about taking her life - even asking him to help her - and was known to self-harm.

Mr Coverdale said: "Carli Barry suffered from depression and had done for a long time. She had a miserable condition, ME, that she had been suffering from for a very long time. It affected her thoroughly and, I believe, she had become worn down."

Updated: 10:36 Friday, March 11, 2005