A WOMAN who threatened to take her mother's ashes to court to prove she was dead has had the case against her dropped.

Darlington Borough Council was trying to recover £122 in unpaid council tax from Alexandrina Stanton, despite the fact she died last August.

Her daughter, Zaundrai, had vowed to arrive in court with her ashes to prove it.

She was due to appear in court yesterday, but the council has now dropped the case.

However, Miss Stanton still feels she is owed an apology. She said: "I will be writing to the council asking for an apology - I've still not had a formal apology.

"I need not have opened the letters addressed to her - I could have just returned them - and I've been made to feel like it's my fault."

A spokeswoman for Darlington council said: "We have written to the lady and she has acknowledged the letter and, as far as we're concerned, that's the end of the matter."