A NEWBORN baby died when his exhausted mum fell asleep after breastfeeding him in her bed.

Jacquline Storey woke in the night to feed 17-day-old Liam but drifted back off to sleep before she could return him to his cot.

Her partner Tony Grimshaw woke to find the little boy between the couple in bed with the duvet against his face, an inquest was told.

Liam's mouth was open but he wasn't breathing and had gone purple.

The couple immediately called an ambulance to their home on Cedar Street, Ashton under Lyne, but frantic efforts to revive him failed.

Liam was pronounced dead at Tameside Hospital in July.

Coroner John Pollard said there was no evidence Liam was smothered and told the devastated couple: "I feel desperately sorry for you.

"You did something you never normally do and this disastrous situation occurs.

Asleep

"There is no evidence that Liam was laid on or squashed.

"Although I don't know what he died from I am quite satisfied that it was from natural causes."

Jacquline, 27, who has three other children, said that she could not remember falling asleep.

She said: "I'd never put him in the middle of us, I would usually put him in his cot at the side of the bed.

"I honestly can't remember falling asleep."

She said he had been 'a bit niggly'.

Pathologist Dr Melanie Newbould said tests had failed to establish a cause of death.

There were no signs of any illness or infection.

Consultant paediatrician Dr David Levy urged new mums never to sleep with a baby in the same bed.