A teenage runaway died after swallowing up to 20 painkiller tablets, an inquest heard.

Salina Khanom, 15, fled from her Birmingham home after her mother told her she did not approve of her relationship with a boy.

She was then taken by her boyfriend's uncle to Keighley so that she could stay with him.

But within a few weeks she was found unconscious, having collapsed at his girlfriend's home last June.

Attempts were made by hospital staff to save her life, but she died later that day at Airedale General Hospital, Steeton.

A post-mortem examination showed that her death was caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, due to dihydrocodeine poisoning.

Dr Kathryn Ward, a consultant paediatrician, told Bradford Coroner's Court yesterday that Salina may have taken the tablets to harm herself. She also suggested the drug may have been used in a recreational way, or administered.

But the hearing was told there were no marks on the body to suggest she was forced to take the tablets against her will.

When paramedics arrived at the property in Highfield Lane, Keighley, they noticed that her body was wet, even though she was wearing dry clothes. Her body temperature was found to be more than six degrees below normal after her admission to hospital.

Dr Ward said she believed the substantial drop in temperature could have been caused by the toxicological effects of the drug and a period of exposure in a cold environment.

The inquest was told that Aklu Ali Miah and Jane Thomas were looking after Salina when she lived in Keighley.

They told hospital staff that, when they found her, they bathed her in a bid to bring her round before an ambulance arrived.

When interviewed about the tragedy, Mr Miah told police: "I don't know what the hell happened, I don't know how she overdosed. I have done nothing wrong."

In another interview, he said Salina was planning to marry his nephew when they were 18.But he said Salina's mother wanted her to have an arranged marriage rather than a "love" marriage.

The hearing has been adjourned to a date yet to be fixed.