​Family and friends say 92-year-old Olive Cooke died after being put under pressure from charity fundraisers

Charity “pestering” may have contributed to the death of an elderly poppy seller, it has been claimed.

Olive Cooke was found dead in the Avon Gorge outside Bristol on 6 May.

The local coroner has classified her passing as a “sudden death” and an inquest will be heard.

However, a family friend said that while the 92 year old was in ill health, she had also been put “under pressure” from constant charity letters, cold calls and requests for cash.

Michael Earley said she was being sent 180 letters a month and was plagued by phone calls.

He said: "In the end, she wouldn't answer the phone. That's what caused a little bit of anxiety. Of course, the next thing we knew, Olive passed away.

"She was exhausted by this situation."

Her granddaughter Louise said she believed the charity letters were a factor, along with Mrs Cooke’s ill health.

Mrs Cooke sold poppies for the Royal British Legion charity appeal for 76 years. She had been presented with the Lord Mayor's Medal as well as a Points of Light award by the prime minister for her work.

Fundraising Standards Board chief executive Alistair Mclean said people who did not wish to be contacted by charities could sign up for the Telephone Preference Service and the Mail Preference Service – or get their families to do so on their behalf.

He said: "No-one should ever feel under pressure to give."

"This is an incredibly sad story and our hearts go out to the family concerned.”

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, said: “Olive was clearly an incredibly generous supporter of charities both in terms of her donations and as a fundraiser with the Poppy Appeal and we extend our deepest condolences to her friends and family.

“All members of the Institute of Fundraising sign up to the Code of Fundraising Practice which sets the standards for all forms of fundraising.

"It is absolutely clear in our code that if an individual no longer wants to receive communications from a charity, in whatever form, they simply need to let the charity know.

If the charity then continues to contact the member of the public it is a breach of our code, and the person can take their complaint to the Fundraising Standards Board, who will investigate and if needs be adjudicate against the charity.”