Tragic Terence Monaghan choked to death after swallowing two snooker balls.

First aiders thought they had cleared the blockage when a red ball shot out of his mouth after they squeezed his chest.

But seconds later they realised there was a second blockage when the 54-year-old began to struggle for breath and his eyes started to roll.

Paramedics arrived at the Mountford Gardens care home, in Kenton, Newcastle, but it took ten minutes to remove the second ball. Mr Monaghan was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save him.

An inquest heard how the tragedy happened as carer Sonia Morton was in the kitchen of the two-person residential bungalow while Mr Monaghan was in the dining room last October.

Disabled Mr Monaghan grabbed two small snooker balls and put them in his mouth. But disaster struck when the balls slipped down his throat and became lodged, and carers found him gasping for air.

Delivering a verdict of accidental death, Newcastle coroner David Mitford said: "I don't level any criticism to the care, which was provided at a very high level. It took even experienced paramedics a period of time to find the second ball."