A MOTHER fighting to find out why her son died in the care of police has taken her own life.

Theresa Jordan, 50, never recovered from the despair of losing her son Andrew, 28, in October last year.

Mrs Jordan, who suffered from a heart condition, snapped under the strain and took an overdose of her medication.

She was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, three weeks ago after suffering major organ failures and died just two days after her son's body was finally released for burial.

The Jordan family are now faced with the ordeal of a double funeral and will have to face two inquest hearings.

The funeral of mother and son will leave the family home in Clive Road, Belvedere, at 9am on October 5 and will take place at Eltham Crematorium at 11am. The family have asked for no flowers but have requested any donations are made to Inquest, the charity helping in their fight for the truth about Andrew's death.

Her husband, David, a minicab driver, also 50, told News Shopper his wife had struggled to come to terms with the circumstances of her son's death.

She had sought help but to her dismay had been referred to Oxleas NHS Trust, one of the bodies she held responsible for Andrew's death. She could not face it and did not keep her appointment.

Andrew, who had mental health problems, had been due to go to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, on October 7 last year to be reassessed.

Eleven police officers were called to his Erith home and Andrew was carried out and rushed to hospital by ambulance. He was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Queen Mary's despite attempts during the journey to revive him.

Three inquiries are being carried out into the circumstances of his death, by the Police Complaints Authority, Oxleas and the London Ambulance Service.

None have yet released the findings of their investigations.

The Jordans also had to endure two post mortem examinations of their son's body before it could be released for burial.

They believe a second examination, carried out at their request, will show Andrew died from asphyxiation.

Mrs Jordan came to Britain from Guyana in 1972. She met her husband when both were undergoing assessment for employment at a disability centre in Surrey. They married in 1974 and had three children, Andrew, Phillip and Amanda.

Despite her disabilities, after Andrew's death, Mrs Jordan joined other family members in a series of demonstrations outside Bexleyheath police station, campaigning for justice for her dead son.

Tragically she has now become the second victim in her family's sad story.

Donations should be made payable to Inquest Charitable Trust and sent to 89-93 Fonthill Road, London N4 3JH and marked: "In memory of Theresa and Andrew Jordan."