A grandmother found hanged and dressed as a schoolgirl may have died when a sex game went tragically wrong, an inquest ruled.

The body of teaching assistant Andrea Crossfield, 44, was discovered by her partner in the house they shared in Bealey Avenue, Radcliffe.

The inquest heard how she was wearing white fishnet stockings, a black gym skirt and white vest top and may have been engaged in ‘some form of activity designed to give sexual pleasure’ in the moments before death.

Her partner, Gavin Openshaw, said he discovered her lifeless body in a bedroom after he had woken up on September 6, 2008.

He rejected suggestions she was participating in a sex act and said he believed she intended to kill herself as she had been depressed.

But Coroner Simon Nelson ruled his account was ‘not at all credible’ and said he was not satisfied she had intended the consequences of her actions.

Returning an open verdict, he said: "I can’t rule out the possibility that she was engaged in some sort of sexual activity.

"The police could not rule out the possibility that Ms Crossfield and Mr Openshaw may have been involved in some form of sexual activity that included some sort of asphyxia strangulation.

"I do not believe that the account of Mr Openshaw suddenly awaking having been asleep while being blissfully ignorant of what Ms Crossfield was doing to be at all credible.

"The evidence very strongly suggests that this was a consensual act."

Mr Openshaw, her partner of 15 months, was initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but police later ruled that there were no criminally suspicious circumstances.

But Ms Crossfield’s family accused Greater Manchester Police of ‘botching’ the investigation and blasted officers for not searching the house properly.

Ms Crossfield’s daughter Natalie said they still had unanswered questions.

She said: "When we heard the way she was dressed we knew she would not have taken her own life - mum would have been embarrassed to be found like that.

"We feel the investigation was botched and justice has not been done."

Ms Crossfield, who had three daughters and two grandchildren, had worked as a teaching assistant at Hollins Grundy Primary School for four years.