RACHEL Whitear, the once promising student from Herefordshire, died from a heroin overdose in a tiny Devon bedsit on May 10, 2000, a jury concluded last week.

But it could not decide if she had given herself the final injection or whether she was alone.

A harrowing five days for her mother and stepfather, Pauline and Mick Holcroft, finished last Friday when Rachel's second inquest came to a close. The 10-strong jury recorded an open verdict at County Hall, Exeter, agreeing that Rachel died from heroin intoxication at 4 Pound Street, Exmouth, following an injection.

At a press conference after the inquest, the Holcrofts criticised "the incompetence of Devon and Cornwall Police", which, they said, treated Rachel's death as another drug statistic.

Tears welled in Mrs Holcroft's eyes as she recalled the events of the past years, including the exhumation of Rachel's body from its final resting place at Withington.

"If a proper examination and post mortem had been carried out at the time of Rachel's death, our family would have been spared the heart-wrenching and unimaginably appalling day at Withington churchyard," she said.

"This week has been the culmination of seven years hard graft. Although we have welcomed the last few days, it's been tough.

"We have had to re-live not only details about Rachel's death, but aspects of her life, some of which have cut us to the core.

"At the conclusion of this inquest Mike and I, our family and friends remain steadfast that we know the circumstances surrounding Rachel's death. It seems inevitable and with regret that we will never be able to prove this."

As the inquest drew to a conclusion, there were twists and revelations. The Holcrofts arrived last Thursday expecting the Coroner, Ian Arrow, to sum up, only to be told new witnesses had come forward.

In the end, the claims of both witnesses could not be substantiated by the man leading the new investigation, Chief Supt Paul Howlett, of Wiltshire Police.

He had re-opened in the investigation into Rachel's death in 2003 following a complaint about Devon and Cornwall Police by the Holcrofts. The new investigation, and key evidence from toxicology, forensic and DNA experts proved Rachel died of an overdose, but there was not enough evidence to support criminal action against anyone.

After the inquest Chief Supt Howlett said his force did all it could.

"I know that Rachel's parents are keen to discover as much as possible about how their daughter died. In particular, the possibility that someone else was present with Rachel when she died has troubled them.

"We are in the unsatisfactory position that while there is no evidence to rule out the possibility of a third party being present, there is, at the same time, no direct evidence to support this suggestion.

"We have not been able to answer all the questions that have been raised by Rachel's parents but from an investigative perspective I am confident that we have exhausted all possible lines of further inquiry."

The Holcrofts are not sure whether to take further action, but they are awaitingt the outcome of an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation into Devon and Cornwall Police.

But now they know, for certain, that Rachel died from a heroin overdose, a drug which took four years to destroy her.

They also know that she was capable of injecting and buying the drug, and had the equipment to do so.

The jury also felt that Rachel did not intend to harm herself and did not intend to commit suicide.

But asked whether she was in possession of the drug or whether she was alone at 4 Pound Street, on May 10, the jury replied "we do not know".