AN eight-year-old boy died after he became tangled in a climbing rope in a treehouse, an inquest heard yesterday.

Jerome Frewen, known as Romey to family and friends, died on October 21 last year at his home in Healaugh, near Reeth, North Yorkshire.

Yesterday's inquest at Richmond Town Hall heard that he had been on half-term holiday from Aysgarth Preparatory School when he went to play in a treehouse at his home.

Babysitter Angela Bird was looking after Romey and his sister, Jennie, while their mother, Rolene, was working in her office at the house.

She went to check on him and found his body caught up in one of several climbing ropes attached to the treehouse. She tried to hold him up while Jennie ran inside to get her mother.

A statement from Mrs Frewen described their attempts to revive him. She said: "I rushed upstairs and looked out of the window which overlooks the field. I saw Angela holding Jerome and she seemed to be untangling him from the rope.

"A red-and-blue rope was wrapped around his chest. We untangled the rope and laid Jerome on the ground.

"I attempted to give Jerome mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and was pushing on his chest to try and get his heart working. He was quite cold and was grey in colour."

A doctor and paramedics arrived but they were unable to revive Jerome and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

North Yorkshire Western District Coroner Geoff Fell recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "Romey got himself entangled in the climbing rope. That led to a somewhat unfortunate combination of events with tragic consequences.

"The rope was wrapped around his chest, restricting movement of his chest. In addition, the rope caused clothing to wrap around his neck and that pressure would have prevented Romey from breathing.

"As far as I can see, Romey was a typical eight-year-old who obviously liked doing what eight-year-old boys like doing, which is climbing trees.

"This was not anybody's fault. It was an unfortunate and wholly unexpected turn of events.