A nurse was asked to prepare a desperately-ill girl's medication - but miss out important drugs from the solution.

Patricia Dryden, 15, died in October, 1995, after she suffered 25 per cent burns in an explosion in Blyth, Northumberland.

Patricia was stable when she was transferred to the intensive care unit at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

At her inquest in Newcastle yesterday, nurse Angela Lawton said: "I was watching over Patricia for three nights after she came to the unit. There were no problems until the night she died, on October 18.

"I was on the night shift, with sister Atkinson in charge.

"In the early hours of the morning, sister Atkinson asked me to draw her medication. She asked me to mix the salt solution, but miss out the adrenalin. She was asking me to give the mixture without the adrenalin.

"She said she was going to die any way, but I refused to do it and walked away.

Patricia's condition began to deteriorate rapidly and, after a discussion, staff were told to stop treatment.

The girl's family was informed there was nothing more that could be done.

Nurse Lawton said she did not report the incident because she was frightened of ward Sister Kathleen Atkinson, and the damage she could do to her career.

Atkinson was suspended some time later and was eventually sacked for gross misconduct.

A police investigation followed into several deaths at the hospital, but it was discontinued in February 1998.

However, home Secretary Jack Straw decided that inquests should be held in four cases, including those of Patricia and Claire Louise Marsh, 14, of Bear Park, County Durham.

The others are Mary Burdon, 69, from Tyneside, and Gladys Ward, 77, from Rochdale, Lancashire.

The inquest continues.