A HEARTBROKEN father today spoke of how he frantically tried to revive his eight month-old baby after finding her unconscious.

Thomas Wilson, 25, of Perry Street, Darwen, gave Zoe the kiss of life and said he managed to start her breathing slightly, but could not save her.

Hope turned to tragedy when she was pronounced dead on arrival at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

She is thought to be a victim of sudden infant death syndrome, also known as cot death.

Thomas and his partner Carrol, 20, today paid tribute to their 'big blue-eyed' baby who they said, despite her short life, was loved so much.

Carrol, a worker at Vernon Carus, the Hoddlesden-based surgical dressing manufacturer, said: "She was happy and playful.

"Everyone loved her. Everyone wanted to hold her.

"She was beautiful. She was excited by everything."

Thomas was a 'house husband' while Carrol worked after being made redundant a month before Zoe was born.

He said: "It wasn't hard work at all. I enjoyed it. She loved grass and the outdoors.

"We thought she would be an environmentalist when she grew up.

"I used to take her to places like Bold Venture Park, Corporation Park, Sunnyhurst Wood and Clitheroe Castle. She was so happy playing outside."

On April 6, Thomas was sleeping on the settee nearby Zoe, who was in her cot. He had put her down at 2.30am after feeding her and having what turned out to be their final play.

Thomas said he awoke just over an hour later and noticed she was not breathing.

Zoe was very hot and he took off her clothes, except the nappy, and splashed a small amount of water on her face, to no avail.

He then gave her mouth-to-mouth.

Carrol said: "He came running upstairs and said she was dead.

"I phoned for an ambulance as he continued to try to resuscitate her.

"I held her hand and said 'come back to mummy baby'. Then she started making a noise and I was getting excited. It looked like Thomas had revived her and she was going to be okay."

The paramedics arrived and Zoe was pronounced dead at 5am in the hospital. A post mortem examination was carried out and could find nothing wrong with her.

The pathologist told the family she was well-nourished.

Carrol and Thomas said the only way to describe losing a baby to cot death was that it was "horrible" and "senseless".

Thomas added: "We all loved her very much and we will miss her very much. She will never be forgotten."

Her funeral took place yesterday afternoon at St Peter's Church, Darwen. George Benson's 'Greatest Love Of All' and Zoe's favourite dancing song, N-Trance's Set You Free, were played.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned until May 15.