AN inquest has heard that a toddler who drowned in a bath probably suffered a fit.

The inquest heard that 18-month old Erin-Louise Connolly had previously suffered three convulsions.

Tragedy struck on Christmas morning last year when the youngster's mother, Melissa Connolly, took a bath.

Having washed, Mrs Connolly climbed out and put daughters Erin-Louise and three-year-old Caitlin in the bath.

She asked their 13-year-old sister, Kimberley, to take the children out as she dried her hair in another room at the house, in Roworth Road, Middlesbrough.

Detective Sergeant Ted Allen, of Cleveland Police, said Mrs Connolly was only away from the room five minutes.

He said: "Melissa was unaware Kimberley had not got the children out of the bath."

Bishop Auckland-born Mrs Connolly went into the bathroom to find Erin-Louise face upwards in ten centimetres of water.

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield told the Middlesbrough inquest: "Of course it is a fact that if you have to cope with four or five young children, as Melissa had, it is certainly not possible to keep an eye on all of them all of the time.

"During the short time she was absent from the bathroom, something happened which resulted in an end to Erin-Louise's life."

Her grandmother, Sandra Connolly, of Skipton Close, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and paramedics took Erin-Louise to Middlesbrough General Hospital.

Sandra Connolly said she only had one hour's sleep on Christmas morning after Kimberley got the other children out of bed to open their presents.

While Melissa had gone back to bed, taking Erin-Louise with her, the other children were too excited to sleep and they sat and watched television.

Pathologist Dr James Sunter, who carried out a post mortem examination, said: "This has been a well nourished and well cared-for child."

Mrs Connolly and four of her children moved into the house only weeks before the incident.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.