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A popular teenage beautician died after hiding a bag of cocaine in her mouth when police stopped a car she was travelling in.

Georgia Cassidy, described in court as a “much loved daughter and family member”, was in a car with her boyfriend when they were stopped in a random police check on Gorsey Lane in Kirkby , an inquest in to her death was told today.

The hearing was told Georgia, 19, “concealed a bag of cocaine in her mouth” shortly before the police stop.

The police found nothing suspicious during the check and the car was allowed to drive away soon after, the inquest was told.

Georgia suffered from a serious seizure later the same day, however, in the car park of The Punchbowl pub in Sefton Village.

She was rushed to Aintree hospital where she died from cocaine toxicity three days later, on February 14, 2018.

Merseyside Police later confirmed a man had been arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug and released under investigation.

Georgia, from Kirkby, was a former pupil at All Saints Catholic School, and later worked as a beauty therapist at Define Hair and Beauty on Scotland Road in Liverpool.

Heartbroken friends paid tribute to “gorgeous” Georgia in the days after her death, who they described as a “beautiful and lovely” young woman.

One wrote online: “Absolutely heartbreaking. I can’t believe it, thinking of you all, such a beautiful girl.”

Coroner André Rebello reassured Georgia’s family there was “no suggestion that she had any connection with drugs”, adding: “Tragically, her death has occured from an accident.”

He went on to lambast drug dealers who profit from pushing drugs onto young people, telling the family: “Clearly the only people that benefit out of these tragic events are [...] the drug dealers and the people at the top of the chain.

“And they earn an awful lot of money out of the upset and destruction and chaos caused to families like Georgia’s.”

The coroner noted that Georgia was clearly a popular teenager, telling her family: “The more you love someone and the more they love you, the greater the hurt from loss when somebody dies.

“And therefore it’s evident to me that she was a very much loved daughter and family member.”

The coroner also confirmed that police were still investigating the man who was arrested, and who was not named during the proceedings.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death at Liverpool Coroner’s Court on Thursday.