£1.25m for family of mum who died from sandwich

THE family of a Wiltshire mum who died after eating a “dairy-free” Pret a Manger sandwich have been handed a £1.25m compensation payout at the High Court.

- IAN LEWIS, BENEDICT TETZLAFF-DEAS AND NEV AYLING

Dental nurse Celia Marsh, 42, from Melksham, collapsed and died after consuming a Pret “vegan rainbow” flatbread sandwich while walking around Bath on a post-Christmas shopping trip with her husband and three of her daughters in December 2017.

Mrs Marsh, who was allergic to milk, thought the sandwich contained a safe coconut yoghurt alternative - but was unaware that it was contaminated with milk protein.

She began to feel unwell shortly after eating the sandwich, and collapsed in the street. Despite the help of a passing first aider, the mother-of-five died in hospital shortly after being rushed there in an ambulance.

Following an inquest into her death in 2022, the senior coroner for Avon, Maria Voisin, put the blame for her death on the contaminated sandwich, writing in her report: “A product which is marked ‘dairy-free’ should be free from dairy.”