THE Avon and Somerset Coroner preparing for an inquest into the death of a Wiltshire mother has asked Pret A Manger to obtain more information from its suppliers.

Mother-of-five Celia Marsh died from an allergic reaction after eating a 'dairy-free' £3.75 Pret A Manger sandwich.

The family’s lawyer told a pre-inquest review near Bristol that testing of the food after she died was 'inadequate'.

Mrs Marsh, 42, of Littlejohn Avenue, Melksham, suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction after eating a 'super-veg rainbow flatbread' during a post-Christmas family meal at a Pret A Manger in Stall Street, Bath, on December 27 2017.

The sandwich's yoghurt dressing was supposed to be vegan but was later found to have traces of dairy protein in it. 

Mrs Marsh, a dental nurse, was rushed to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, but later died.

The pre-inquest review hearing heard Pret A Manger’s lack of investigation into the food item had “caused both the family and others great concern”.

The flatbread contained a coconut milk yoghurt alternative supplied by Australian-based coconut yoghurt firm CoYo that was supposed to be dairy free. These branded yoghurts are made by its UK distributor Planet Coconut.

The family’s lawyer told the hearing that it was “deeply regrettable” that “contents were not kept and properly analysed”, adding that the testing was “inadequate”. 

The coroner's court was told there was a “mismatch” between the information held by CoYo and Planet Coconut about the potential for dairy contamination in its products.

Coroner Maria Voisin said she will request a statement from CoYo’s founder Henry Gosling.

The scope of an inquest is only to establish how someone died. Ms Voisin said it was not to place blame or replace civil litigation. CoYo and Mr Gosling have not been named as interested parties in the inquest. 

The family’s lawyer said: “It is about how the deceased came about their death. But there are clearly concerns with the investigation and that forms part of the context and background, which we will be exploring with the experts.”

Mrs Marsh's inquest is due to begin on September 6 and is expected to last between two and three weeks.

Bath and North East Somerset Council began legal action against Pret A Manger and Planet Coconut but later dropped the case for lack of evidence.

Mrs Marsh’s husband, Andy Marsh, is pursuing a personal injury claim against the food retailer.