A young mum who collapsed and died at home was killed by an allergic reaction - but mystery still surrounds what caused it.

Tests revealed 26-year-old Rachel Hollands, who had a severe nut allergy, suffered an anaphylactic shock, causing her heart to stop.

But her devastated parents questioned the findings this week at an inquest into the death of the former Canterbury College student.

Keith and Carmal Spreadborough’s doubts stemmed from the fact Rachel had not eaten anything containing nuts, and her collapse in the morning was almost 12 hours after her last meal.

Rachel’s husband Andrew told the inquest they’d had sausage and mash, something she had eaten without problem many times before.

He added Rachel, with whom he had a six-year-old daughter Erin, was extremely wary of her nut allergy after it had caused a previous collapse.

He said: “It was about a year earlier and was triggered after she ate a muffin. She knew she had an allergy because her lip had swollen in the past, but the reaction had never been that severe before. I had to call 999 and the paramedics got her breathing again.”

The collapse caused Rachel to be extra vigilant, but she fell unconscious again on July 16 last year and this time could not be revived.

Mr Hollands said that when he woke at their home in Minster Road, Faversham, Rachel had been asleep and breathing normally, but when he came out of the shower soon after, he found her unresponsive.

He dialled 999 and medics rushed her to hospital and fought in vain for three hours to save her.

"There's no identified stimulus and it is worrying that we don't know what caused this event..." - Deputy coroner Ian Goldup

Pathologist Dr Salim Anjarwalla said tests showed she had suffered an anaphylactic shock, but Mr Spreadborough, from Reculver, questioned the evidence.

He said: "I have read the post-mortem report and it doesn’t make sense to me.

“For an allergic reaction to have been triggered, she would have had to have eaten after 1am.

“We know from the report that there was nothing wrong with her heart and it was suggested by the specialist who examined it that it could have been sudden adult death syndrome.”

Mr Spreadborough also questioned some of the readings in the toxicology report, which showed high levels of mast cell tryptase in the blood - a known indicator of an allergic reaction.

He said the family had a history of allergies, including reactions to insect bites.

Dr Anjarwalla said he found no evidence of any bites on Rachel’s body, adding that in most cases of death from anaphylactic shock, the trigger is never identified.

But Mr Spreadborough urged the coroner to consider adult death syndrome.

He said: “We could be carriers and it could be important to get her daughter and siblings tested.

“But doctors won’t buy into it without it being recorded as the cause and there could be difficulty getting the tests done.”

The court also heard Rachel, who had moved to Faversham from Clare Road, Whitstable, was taking medication for a kidney problem, but there was no suggestion it contributed to her death.

Deputy coroner Ian Goldup said while he “took on board” Mr Spreadborough’s own research, he had to accept the evidence of the pathologist.

He added: “It is only expert opinion and I admit there’s no certainty, but given the medical history and previous episode, I have to accept the cause of death as anaphylactic shock.

“Admittedly, there’s no identified stimulus and it is worrying that we don’t know what caused this event.

“But in accepting the cause of death as anaphylactic shock, my conclusion is that this was a natural death.”

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