CHRISTOPHER Martin, landlord of the Grapes pub in Bath, where Rachel worked after arriving for university, said in a statement that a "weepy" Rachel had confessed to him about heroin use.

He said he had made efforts to separate her from Luke, who he accused of "having a hold on her".

"She said to me she was taking the drug and told me Luke had introduced her to it," the inquest heard. "She told me and my wife that she couldn't get away from Luke, and therefore couldn't get away from heroin. I barred Luke from the pub - Luke had a hold over Rachel, who was scared to be in that relationship and drug environment."

William Gardner, a drug counsellor who met Rachel throughout the time she was in Exmouth, said her drug use was decreasing, and that in the three weeks before her death she had been given no needles through the programme "I'm confident that she could inject herself, and I'm confident that Rachel had the ability and confidence to buy heroin herself," he said.

"It was around this time I was aware there was some purer heroin being used in Exmouth.

"Following Rachel's death, the rumour among the users was Rachel had taken this batch, supplied by a man called Taff, who lived in Exmouth and was an active heroin dealer."

Rachel had agreed in principle to meet often over the coming weeks, because it was a critical time in her recovery. But those meetings never took place.

"I told her she would have to be careful," said Mr Gardner. "If she had to take again, it would have a much more powerful effect on her system."

The coroner was due to begin his summing up today (Thursday).