A woman today told how she vainly tried to save her 18-month-old niece's life as she choked on a brass screw.

Rehana Kauser gave little Zaynab Kauser mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and managed to get her breathing again after the toddler swallowed the one-and-a-half inch long screw, gasped for breath and turned blue.

But by the time an ambulance arrived the Thornbury youngster had stopped breathing again and was rushed to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Despite efforts by medical staff to remove the screw, Zaynab died at the hospital.

An inquest in Bradford yesterday heard how a post mortem examination showed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to inhalation. Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Roger Whittaker said it was a "very tragic" case.

After the hearing Mrs Kauser said the family had been shocked by the tragedy.

"It just seems a waste of life, something so unfortunate," she said. "Zaynab had such a beautiful smile and a giggle as well. She was a happy little girl and she had been to Pakistan as well in such a short life. She was cheerful all the time but shy too."

Mrs Kauser said Zaynab's parents, Naseem Akhtar and Ahsan Ul Haque, who live next door, in Albert Place, were mystified as to where the screw had come from.

"That is the puzzle," she said. "Naseem hoovered in the morning and there was nothing around.It must have come from somewhere but we have no idea because it wasn't part of anything in the room."

Mrs Kauser said she had desperately tried to revive her distraught sister-in-law's youngster and at one point had managed to get her breathing.

She did a first aid course around 11-years-ago when she was working as a support assistant at Bradford Moor Primary School.

"Some people get frightened and I was frightened as well but I knew I had to do something, I couldn't just sit there when the poor little thing was in a terrible state."