A DARWEN mother has re-lived the tragic moment when her six-year-old daughter passed away.

An inquest at Blackburn town hall was told how Phoebe Robinson died at her home in Milking Lane, Lower Darwen, in March.

Mother Sheila Robinson said her daughter was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, at the age of four.

But, she added, in every other respect Phoebe had been a normal healthy little girl.

On the night of March 9 Mrs Robinson said she returned home from taking her son to a local Boys' Brigade unit.

By that time, the inquest heard, Phoebe had gone to bed.

Mrs Robinson said: "I returned home at about 8.30pm and Phoebe was in bed. I called in to see her and she seemed fine, she was asleep."

At 10.30pm Mrs Robinson said she looked in her daughter's bedroom for a second time and everything was still normal.

She added: "At that stage there was nothing that would give me cause for concern."

But at 3.45am Mrs Robinson said she heard a noise which woke her up. "I heard something but I didn't know what it was.

"I got out of bed and could hear that her breathing was not normal. When I got to her room she took a big gasp of breath."

Mrs Robinson said she believed her daughter had some form of fit.

Paramedics were called and tried to resuscitate Phoebe, who later died at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

A specialist paediatric was unable to ascertain a cause of death but Dr Melanie Newbold said there was no evidence to suggest anything other than a natural cause of death. Recording a verdict of natural causes coroner Michael Singleton said: "I hoped to give the family some form of clear explanation but that has not proved to be possible."

After the hearing Mrs Robinson and Phoebe's father, John Robinson, a Darwen firefighter, praised everyone who helped them after their daughter's death.

The Robinsons singled out staff and pupils at St Paul's Primary School in Hoddlesden and the Rev Geoffrey Munford.