A coroner today criticised a "systemic failure" at a teaching hospital maternity unit where a two-day-old baby died after his partially sighted mother fell asleep in bed with him.

Conor Walker died at Leeds General Infirmary after his mother, Press Association journalist Lisa Salmon, apparently fell asleep following a breastfeeding session in bed in the early hours of February 1, 2002.

An inquest in Leeds has heard that Ms Salmon, 36, who was virtually blind following a car crash, had had almost no sleep in three days when she was left unsupervised with her baby in bed with her.

Conor died from lack of oxygen to his brain, probably due to "overlying" by his mother, the hearing was told.

Today, West Yorkshire coroner David Hinchliff recorded a verdict of "accidental death to which negligence had contributed".

Mr Hinchliff said this was not a case of the personal failure of midwifery staff and individuals but "a systemic failure".

Mr Hinchliff said he was recommending that the Leeds General Infirmary and all other hospitals look "very, very carefully" at their procedures for the supervision of women sharing a bed with their babies.

The coroner said he was not proposing to set out a list of recommendations to hospitals.