A woman who "came back to life" after being wrongly pronounced dead, has accepted an out-of-court compensation settlement of nearly £40,000.

Maureen Jones, 65, was lying face down in her bedroom when Dr Marion Meeson was called to her home in Thwing, near Driffield, East Yorkshire, in April 1996.

Her son made the call after coming home and finding her unconscious.

Dr Meeson, her local GP, declared Mrs Jones dead and the undertaker was called.

As the hearse pulled up outside Mrs Jones' cottage, two police officers saw her leg twitch and began to give her heart massage.

She was taken to hospital in Scarborough where she regained consciousness two days later.

A damages hearing was due to be held tomorrow, but a spokeswoman for the Medical Defence Union, which represented Dr Meeson, said an out-of-court settlement had been agreed for £38,500.

Mrs Jones said she felt she had to accept a settlement to help her and her family to get over the ordeal.

She said: "The hearse had drawn up at the door and that is a terrible thing to think about.

"Things are not good if you wake during the night and you can't get back to sleep because all you think about is being buried alive."

The mother of four, a widow who has since moved to Bridlington, added: "My eldest daughter said being told that I was not dead was a bigger shock than being told I had had a heart attack.

"I just have to come to terms with it but it's hard, very hard."

Following the incident four years ago, a preliminary investigation by North Yorkshire Health Authority found Dr Meeson "may not have carried out a full examination on Mrs Jones to reach a reasonable diagnosis".

The inquiry was then handed to County Durham Health Authority.

Dr Meeson was given an official reprimand and told to comply more closely with her terms of service. She was also told to undergo educational assessment and support to make sure she met best medical practice.