A North-East MP whose son-in-law died after surgery to amputate his foot is to seek medical advice about his treatment in hospital.

Frank Cook, MP for Stockton North, believes his daughter's husband Eric Fawkes, 46, should have been prescribed an anti-coagulant to stop his blood clotting when he left the University Hospital of Hartlepool following the operation in January.

The father-of-two died in his wife Maxine's arms days after being discharged when a blood clot formed in his leg and travelled to his lung.

Mrs Fawkes, 40, a hospital theatre assistant, sobbed as she told an inquest today how she woke in the night and heard him snoring.

"I tried to rouse Eric but he didn't wake up," she said. "He then started murmuring as if he was dreaming. I cuddled him and kissed him and told him I loved him, then I took my hand off and he breathed out and he never took another breath.

She tried to resuscitate him, while the couple's daughters Vannessa 14, and Megan, 12, alerted neighbours. Paramedics arrived and rushed him to hospital where he was pronounced dead soon after arrival.

Teesside Coroner's Court heard that Mr Fawkes, a foreman joiner, of Carthorpe Drive, Billingham, Teesside, suffered agonising pain after developing gangrene in his left foot because of circulation problems caused by diabetes. He also had high blood pressure.

Surgeon Christopher Wood told the court that below-the-knee amputation was the only option for Mr Fawkes after a vein graft operation was unsuccessful.

He said Mr Fawkes was on anti-coagulants after the surgery, but it was not normal practice to administer them to patients going home. "In his instance there was no evidence of clots at the time of his amputation."

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield, recording a verdict of death by misadventure, said he was satisfied that the surgery was carried out correctly. He said Mr Fawkes was "tragically and desperately unlucky" to have developed the clot.

But afterwards Mr Cook said he could not understand why someone with his son-in-law's medical history was not given anti-coagulants.

"I want to take medical advice which might supplement or even contradict Mr Ward's assessment," he added. .