A MOTHER listened as paramedics relived their desperate attempts to bring her baby back to life.

Michael Whittam and Don Cowman, based at Altham Ambulance Station, revealed how they thought Toby Woods was already dead when they saw his pale, lifeless body.

Donna Hanson called for an ambulance after three-month-old Toby's breathing monitor had triggered an alarm September 1999, the inquest jury was told.

Paramedics found him lying on the floor of the home she shared with Robert Woods in Pendle Street, Accrington.

Toby died later the same day at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, triggering a police investigation which led to Miss Hanson, now of Church Street, Accrington, being arrested on suspicion of murdering Toby and his elder brother Ashley ten months earlier.

Miss Hanson was told last year she would not face criminal charges.

Under examination from coroner Michael Singleton and Miss Hanson's legal representative Andrew Scott, Mr Cowman said: "When we got to the house the door was already open and we went in. The first thing we saw was a pram and a baby on the floor.

"It was obvious then that he had already died but we began performing CPR."

Mr Whittam said he continued to administer CPR while Mr Whittam made the 15 minute drive to Blackburn Infirmary.

He said: "I suppose we were hoping for a lucky break, that something might happen which meant he would be OK. It has happened before. That's what we hoped for." Miss Hanson watched silently throughout the journey to hospital, the paramedics said. In statements later collected by the police, they said she had not seemed to sense the urgency of the situation, trying to ring her mum before going to the hospital.

They admitted not being aware that Toby's brother Ashley had died the previous year or that Miss Hanson had been trying to ring her mum to arrange for someone to pick her third child up from school.

Earlier in the day, Prof Melanie Newbold, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Toby, said she had not found any signs of child abuse.

Toby had been diagnosed gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, a condition in which the body tries to remove acid from the stomach, forcing it into other parts of the body.

It was thought the acid had been landing in Toby's oesophagus, causing his vocal chords to close up, which led to him suffering seizures.

Toby went to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for tests and at least one staring fit had been witnessed by a nurse.

Richard Newton, from the RMCH, said was 'surprised and disappointed' his nurses had not flagged this up to him. In his report to police, he said he suspected it was more likely than not Miss Hanson played a part in Toby's death, based on the fact two children in the same family had died and because of nurses' concerns.

(Proceeding)