An ex-model who once partied with a host of TV and catwalk stars died of a drug overdose on the weekend of her birthday bash.

Party-loving Zsarday Forde had celebrated her 40th with a huge party attended by about 100 people at her best friend’s house in Kemp Town, Brighton.

But hours later, the transsexual cabaret singer was found dead at another friend’s home, having taken a lethal amount of heroin.

Miss Forde, who once modelled for Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, and claimed to have partied with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, was a well-known performer in the bars near to her home in Lower Rock Gardens.

An inquest at Brighton County Court yesterday was told that on October 11 last year, Miss Forde threw a lavish all-night bash at Herbe Guyat’s palatial pad in nearby Crescent Place.

The following day, after helping cleanup she left a note for Mr Guyat before disappearing, telling him she would return later that evening.

But she failed to show and instead went to visit John Agar at his flat in Farm Road, Brighton.

Mr Guyat said: “She was meant to come back to watch DVDs and have a chill-out night and pick up her presents which were in my room.

“But recently she was very tired all the time. Sometimes she would say she would be back but would sleep it off and have her phone off.”

Mr Agar told the hearing that he had left the party at 11.30am on October 12 and had woken up at about midnight, when he invited Miss Forde to his home.

The pair shared a bottle of wine while watching a DVD on the bed, before Miss Forde fell asleep and Mr Agar followed.

About five hours later, at around 8am, Mr Agar awoke to find his friend had died in her sleep next to him.

Unemployed Mr Agar said: “I knew she smoked (cannabis) and drank but I didn’t know anything about hard drugs.

“At mine she seemed very tired but I didn’t have any worries about her at that time.

“I awoke to find Zsarday cold and stiff next to me.

“I was in a bit of a flap.”

Mr Agar called an ambulance but paramedics failed to revive Miss Forde and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police found no evidence she had taken drugs at the flat.

Detectives have still not found the dealer who sold her the killer heroin.

Pathologist doctor Mark Taylor, from the Royal Sussex County Hospital, found she had fatal levels of heroin in her body. He also found traces of cocaine.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner John Hooper said: “There is no evidence to suggest that Zsarday wished to take her own life.

“She had celebrated her 40th birthday with many of her friends and appears to have been fit.” Leave your tributes below.