Holiday death of wealthy water boss's wife from Chorley was 'natural causes' say officials in Menorca

Elsie Mogford was taken ill at the £1m villa on the coast near San Lluis on Tuesday and, despite attempts by paramedics to revive her, she was pronounced dead in hospital.

A civil registrar at the Spanish island's capital Mahon has confirmed her death was "not suspicious and was from natural causes."

Grieving relatives back home in Lancashire have asked for privacy.

One family member told the Daily Mail: "I'm in a state of shock. I don't know many details apart from she was on holiday in Menorca and she died on Tuesday morning. They have a villa over there and all I know is that they called an ambulance.

'She has two boys and it's so sad for them. She was a very good horse rider and a lovely person. I got on well with her.'

The couple married in 2019, three years after the death of 65-year-old Steve Mogford's first wife Barbara, 61, from breast cancer.

Elsie, who has two sons aged 15 and 11 by a previous marriage, was a keen horsewoman and had competed in eventing and dressage.

The couple had stables and a dressage arena at their farmhouse in the Chorley countryside near to Anglezarke Reservoir.

Mrs Mogford flew out to Menorca two weeks ago and had posted on social media how much she was missing her "gorgeous" animals. She also posted photographs of herself sunbathing on the couple's luxury yacht.

Steve Mogford has been chief executive of water company United Utilities for the past 10 years after a career which began in the military aircaft division of BAE Systems in Lancashire.

He started at the company in 1977 and stayed for 30 years, working his way up to chief operating officer for programmes. He left to become chief executive of Selex Galileo, defence electronics specialists owned by an Italian aerospace company.

He joined United Utilities as chief executive in 2011. He was said to have earned almost £3m last year in salary, bonuses and benefits