Coroner in safety plea over death of Lily, two

Andrew Kitterick told an inquest into Lily's death yesterday that she was a "lovely girl, a bright, bubbly chatterbox, full of life''.

Mr Kitterick, of Carr Street, Huddersfield, said that after reading his daughter a story on the evening of June 16 and putting her to bed he went back later and found her "at the foot of the bed with the cord round her neck".

After shouting for help, he tried to resuscitate her. An ambulance took the youngster to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary but medics were unable to save her life.

Neighbour Sarah Broadbent said she saw Lily on the windowsill in her bedroom that evening.

"I said 'oh my God', she has got the blind cord which concerned me though I thought it would be all right. Two to three minutes later I came back into the room and she was no longer on view. I presumed she had gone to bed.

"Two to three minutes later I heard Lily's dad shouting for help. My instant reaction was that she had been playing with the cord.''

Coroner Roger Whittaker said Lily died as a result of asphyxia due to accidental self-strangulation. He called for the potential dangers of cords in young children's bedrooms to be highlighted and said he would also be writing to manufacturers to see if they could be made safer.

Afterwards Andrew and Johanna Kitterick said: "Lily was a beautiful, bright and happy child who loved life. Her loss has left us, our family and friends completely devastated."