Experts are probing the safety of beds with cot sides after the death of a Bradford man with cerebral palsy, an inquest heard.

The move comes after Robert Gentle died last year after being suffocated when his head became wedged between the mattress and the bed rail.

His death is one of 14 in the past five years being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Medical Devices Agency.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said 40-year-old Mr Gentle's death, at the Reevy Road Resource Centre where he had been a resident for ten years, could not have been foreseen by the staff.

Recording an accidental death verdict, Mr Whittaker said it was the second fatality involving cot sides that he had dealt with in the past six months and he was satisfied to hear about the research programme.

Julian Franklin, an inspector with the HSE, told the inquest results of the research would be available to interested parties.

He said he thought it possible to design a structure which would prevent such deaths, but there were doubts about whether it would be practical for health care professionals to use.

"Research is going on into cot sides to determine the critical factors," added Mr Franklin.

Andrew Marsden, of the Medical Devices Agency, said further guidelines on the use of cot sides were due to be published soon.

Staff at the resource centre told how they found Mr Gentle laid on his back in bed, with his head stuck between the mattress and the plastic 'bumper' surrounding the tubular steel bed side. They had to prise the rail apart to release him, but resuscitation efforts failed.

He had been prone to falling out of bed, due to his condition, and a new-style bed with an inflatable, ripple mattress and cot sides had been introduced.

Night care assistant Anita Youngman said that on a previous occasion she had found Mr Gentle diagonally across the bed with his ankle between the mattress and the cot side.

The unit manager, June Buxton, suggested some sort of webbing or net might perhaps be used rather than bars, so that air would be allowed through.

The Coroner said Mr Gentle was '... extremely happy and well looked after'' at the centre and no-one could have conceived that he would have been able to put his head in that position.

Tony Moore, manager for adult learning disability service, said: "Robert was very well liked and respected by both his peers and staff alike and will be sadly missed.

"This was an unfortunate and tragic accident and out thoughts are with his family."