A RESIDENT died the day after choking on his Sunday roast dinner at Calderstones Hospital, an inquest heard.

Adam Sykes, 22, described as a "messy" eater who would "shovel down" his meals, ate supervised at the secure unit after throwing food over other people.

Mr Sykes, who had various health difficulties and showed "challenging behaviour," was on a life support machine overnight after staff had battled to save him. He died of brain damage in Burnley General Hospital.

The inquest at Burnley was told the pathologist who conducted the post mortem examination on Mr Sykes had been told he had been left for half an hour before resuscitation began.

But the coroner said it was 30 minutes before paramedics treated him.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, acting East Lancs coroner Richard Taylor said Mr Sykes, who did not like anybody in the room when he was eating, had had an earlier incident when he had apparently choked on some food.

He had been continually coaxed to eat in a better way.

Mr Taylor said it appeared food had got stuck in Mr Sykes' larynx and a staff member thought he had been successful in dislodging it. He may well have been, but by that time the damage had been done.

The inquest was told Mr Sykes, born in Huddersfield, died on September 2.

Pathologist Dr Abdul Al-Dawoud said the cause of death was brain damage caused by asphyxia due to a foreign body in the larnyx. He told the hearing the brain could only sustain its activity for four minutes without breath and the cells would then start to die.

The pathologist said he had found large pieces of food in Mr Sykes' stomach and did not think they had been chewed very well.

Consultant psychiatrist at Calderstones Dr A Adewunmi said Mr Sykes had been admitted from a hospital in Huddersfield last October under the Mental Health Act. He had mild learning disabilities and Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism and sufferers of which had "different social rules." Mr Sykes had been referred to Calderstones after he had exhibited constant aggressive behaviour and had attacked and injured nursing staff.

He assaulted people around him for no specific reason when anxious and was moved to the Whalley hospital in a time of crisis because it offered something the former unit could not.

Dr Adewunmi said it was felt Calderstones was not really the right place for Mr Sykes, although it was a step in the right direction and there was a gradual improvement in his behaviour.

Mr Sykes was vulnerable, had been assaulted by other patients and another placement was being sought for him.

Calderstones support worker Mr Barry Parkinson told the hearing Mr Sykes had been eating on his own for a number of months as it made him feel secure.

He was monitored from the doorway or in the corridor. Mr Sykes would eat looking over to the right and not look at what he was doing. He had been warned several times to slow down and chew his food.

Mr Sykes' roast beef had been cut up for him but the potatoes and vegetables in his meal were soft. Mr Parkinson said he had been watching Mr Sykes through the hatch and heard him start to choke. He immediately raised the alarm and Mr Sykes was slapped on the back.

Other staff came to Mr Sykes' aid , he was starting to change colour slightly and an abdominal thrust was administered while he was on the floor. Chewed food came out of his mouth and he was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compression after his pulse became feint and his breathing stopped.

Mr Parkinson said Mr Sykes seemed to be breathing very slightly again and was put in the recovery position.

He then started to lose his pulse again and Mr Parkinson had to carry on with mouth-to-mouth while a first aider continued with chest compression until paramedics arrived. He added he had pressed the alarm before he got hold of Mr Sykes, but the paramedics took "quite a long time" to arrive.