A nurse who was due to stand trial accused of murdering three elderly patients has been found dead at her home.

Ann Grigg-Booth, 52, who was a night matron at Airedale General Hospital, was charged with the murder of the women there between July 2000 and 2002.

Police were today still investigating the discovery of her body at her home in Nelson, but detectives said they were not treating her death as suspicious.

She had been due to go on trial at Leeds Crown Court on 17 charges relating to the deaths at the Steeton hospital where she worked.

She was accused of the murders of Jane Driver on July 24, 2000, Eva Blackburn on November 13, 2001, and Annie Midgley on July 22, 2002.

She was also charged with the attempted murder of Michael Parker, 42, in June 2002. She had also faced 13 charges of administering noxious substances to other patients between June 2000 and July 2002.

Grigg-Booth had been living in Cowling, near Skipton, at the time of the investigation into the deaths by police.

She was charged in September 2004 and was due to go on trial in April next year.

The investigation at Airedale was sparked when bosses at the hospital carried out a routine audit of deaths. After studying patient records they informed West Yorkshire detectives who launched the investigation into the way the senior nurse administered morphine to patients.

She stopped working at Airedale in February 2003.

In October last year Grigg-Booth appeared in court charged with drink driving and was banned from driving for 16 months.

At Burnley Magistrates court she admitted to being almost twice over the drink driving limit.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed Ms Grigg-Booth was found dead at her home in Lancashire on Monday.

Detectives are investigating her death but said it was not being treated as suspicious.

An Airedale General Hospital spokesman said: "We were sorry to learn of Ann's death and offer our condolences to her family."

Several other people arrested last year as part of the Airedale investigation will not face charges.

Two women, both aged 52, and a 56-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of administering noxious substances, but the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to prosecute.

Two men, aged 54 and 48, arrested in October on suspicion of manslaughter and perverting the course of justice, were also released without charge.