Puppy game led to death of girl

A five-year-old girl was hanged with a pink ribbon she had been using in an "innocent game" with her sister and friend, an inquest hears.

Shannon Thomas had been pretending to be a puppy minutes before she was found by her father Phillip in the bedroom of her Briton Ferry home.

Coroner for Neath Port Talbot Dr David Osborne was told her death was due to a "freak and tragic accident".

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.

The hearing was told that on Saturday 3 February last year Shannon, her sister Amy and their friend Courtney had spent most of the afternoon playing in Shannon's bedroom.

Her father had been making regular checks to make sure that the girls were safe, well and enjoying themselves.

Courtney left at about 1500 GMT and shortly after Mr Thomas went back upstairs to check on his daughters.

When he opened the door to Shannon's bedroom he found her with the ribbon attached around her neck. The end of the ribbon was caught on the handle of a wardrobe.

"I struggled with the ribbon and could not loosen it," he said.

Rescue attempts

Her mother Nicola rushed upstairs to try and help, the inquest was told.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Shannon as she was taken to Swansea's Moriston Hospital.

Further attempts by doctors at the accident and emergency department were also unsuccessful.

Det Insp Mark Lewis of South Wales Police told Dr Osborne: "It was a freak but tragic accident.

"Shannon had been playing quite innocently up in the bedroom with her friends."

Speaking after the hearing Mr Thomas urged parents to spend as much time with their children as they could and to make sure they played safely.

"She will always be missed and will always be in our thoughts," he said.