THE bed of an elderly psychiatric patient had been moved away from an alarm button before an accident that led to her death because she was constantly pressing it, an inquest was told.

The hearing into the death of Teresa Wooton was halted yesterday so that an investigation into the claims, made by the 69-year-old's family, could be carried out.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner, Michael Singleton, said he had concerns about the accusations and called a halt to proceedings.

Mr Singleton said: "The family have raised a suggestion the bed had been moved away specifically from the bell. Medical staff must have been aware that this was a lady who had some problems with mobility and I would personally like to investigate."

Widower Jack Wooton said staff had shifted the bed from the bell because she had "rung it constantly."

The inquest in Blackburn was told Mrs Wooton had fallen out of bed and broken her hip. And, according to Mr Singleton, a post mortem examination found the former mill worker contracted bronchial pneumonia and died as a result of being laid up with the injury.

Prior to the fall, Mrs Wooton had also set herself on fire while at the hospital.

The inquest was told she had a history of mental health problems, which Mr Wooton, of Cherry Street, Blackburn, blamed on a large fire at a mill in 1983. He said his wife had taken a box of matches from a day room at the hospital before setting fire to her own clothes.

After treatment at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, Mrs Wooton was taken to a specialist burns unit in Liverpool where she recovered.

The inquest was told she was taken back to the psychiatric ward at Queen's Park, where, Mrs Wooton's family claim, staff moved her bed from the help bell.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Care NHS Trust, chief executive Finlay Robertson, today said: "We will co-operate fully with the coroner and await his verdict."