The tearful daughter of a British couple who died at a hotel in Egypt has asked for time to “grieve” for her loss as the inquests into her parents’ deaths was opened and adjourned.

Kelly Ormerod, 40, said she was preparing for the funerals on Wednesday of John and Susan Cooper, in their home town of Burnley.

They died suddenly on August 21, after becoming ill while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Ms Ormerod attended the brief hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court where James Adeley, senior coroner for Blackburn with Darwen, passed on his condolences as the inquests were opened and adjourned until a date to be fixed.

The Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada
The Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada (AP)

Outside court Ms Ormerod said: “All I would like to say is thank you very much for all the support I have received.

“At the moment now I have got to go home and prepare for a funeral tomorrow.

“If you would kindly leave me be, leave my family be, and let us grieve and get the grieving process on the way, and I am prepared to speak at a later date.”

A brief chronology of events was given in court with Dr Adeley explaining that as the deaths occurred outside the UK he could only make “requests” for information from the authorities in Egypt.

Forensic examinations carried out by authorities in Egypt reported the cause of deaths as being linked to E.coli bacteria, although this was dismissed by Ms Ormerod last week.

Dr Adeley said through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office he would be requesting all relevant reports and documentation from a long list of public bodies in Egypt and from Thomas Cook.

But he warned that requests to foreign countries “can take months, even years”.

Kelly Ormerod speaking to the media at Preston Coroner’s Court
Kelly Ormerod speaking to the media at Preston Coroner’s Court (Peter Byrne/PA)

Dr Adeley said neither of the couple were known to have any serious medical conditions before they left the UK for the holiday on August 13.

They were staying in one room with their 12-year-old granddaughter, Molly, while Ms Ormerod stayed in another room with her two other children.

On the evening of August 20 the couple dined at the hotel buffet and it was thought they both ate liver before Mrs Cooper and Molly returned first to their room, 5107.

The coroner continued: “They noticed an acetone type smell replaced by what is described by the granddaughter as a funny, musty smell. A different smell from earlier in the week. It was established the next door room had been fumigated.”

Around 1.15am Molly said the smell was making her feel unwell, Mrs Cooper called her daughter and Mr Cooper walked the girl to her mother’s room before returning to his own room.

Egypy hotel deaths map
(PA Graphics)

Dr Adeley continued: “On the morning of Tuesday 21st August, Ms Ormerod become concerned because neither had appeared by 11am.”

Det Inspector Leah Rice, of Lancashire Police, told the hearing: “The normal routine was Susan Cooper would usually be up six, six thirty, down to the pool to reserve sun beds for the day, then breakfast.

“However that morning she was not down for the sun beds.”

The court heard Ms Ormerod became “very concerned” and called for help when her father answered the door to their room and two doctors arrived.

Dr Adeley said: “Shortly after this Mr Cooper collapsed in the room and could not be revived and verified to have died at noon. Mrs Cooper was variably lucid.”

The couple had been vomiting and feeling lethargic and Mrs Cooper had a heart attack in an ambulance on the way to hospital where her death was confirmed.

Dr Adeley said he had only a single document from the authorities in Egypt stating E.coli as a cause of death for the couple and explaining the strange smell in the room as a leak of pesticides from the adjacent, fumigated room.

He said he had no reports detailing toxicology, micro-biology, police or public health investigations.

The coroner said he would be requesting from the authorities in Egypt: forensic reports, laboratory tests, toxicology reports, microbiology reports, details on the air conditioning system, test results on food and water, details from the Egyptian atomic energy authority, histology samples, and the details of the police investigation.

He would also request the hotel group running the hotel and Thomas Cook to supply “all the documentation”.

Post-mortem examinations on Mr and Mrs Cooper in the UK have not been able to determine the cause of death and more tests are being carried out, but the results could take some time to come back.

Their funerals will be held in Burnley on Wednesday morning.