A LITTLE girl choked to death on her own vomit even though her grandparents had warned social services she was being neglected by her parents, an inquest heard.

Thirteen-month old Sophie Casey's grandmother was horrified when a social worker told her they could do nothing to help her unless she died.

Sophie subsequently died when her mother's heroin addict boyfriend fed her a mixture of cheesecake, ice cream, Weetabix and milk - mixed together - for breakfast.

On the morning of December 10, 1999, Sophie was found choked on her own vomit, at the family's South Tyneside home after Peter Casey had fed her the stodgy mixture.

Both Sophie's grandmothers warned she was being neglected before she died, the inquest heard.

Nursing staff, teachers and neighbours also raised the alarm with social services staff over the way Sophie and her elder brother were being looked after by their mother.

They also claimed mother Emma Casey's boyfriend, a one-armed heroin addict, was regularly driving the children around in a car when he had neither a driving licence or insurance.

The second day of the week-long inquest into the child's death also heard evidence from Sophie's real father, a nurse and police officers.

Coroner Terence Carney, sitting at Gateshead County Court, was told Ms Casey's mother, who can only be identified as Julie, grew concerned about her granddaughter's weight and general state of health.

But she was stopped from seeing Sophie shortly before her death, and Ms Casey ordered her social worker not to pass on any information about her.

Julie told the inquest: "The last time I saw the social worker, he told me they wouldn't do anything until one of the children was dead, and then they would run around like headless chickens."

The inquest continues.