A 16-year-old girl with severe learning difficulties died after choking on a plastic nappy bag.

Chloe Linton, from Atherton, was found unresponsive in her bedroom by her mother Elizabeth Manniex on September 30 last year.

Attempts by paramedics and staff at Royal Bolton Hospital to resuscitate her were unsuccessful and a black plastic bag was removed from her throat.

Assistant coroner Rachel Galloway recorded a conclusion of misadventure at the inquest held this morning, Tuesday,at Bolton Coroner’s Court in Paderborn House.

Ms Galloway listed Chloe’s cause of death as choking and the post mortem examination revealed six more bags in her stomach.

Ms Manniex’s statement was read out by the coroner. She said: “Chloe was an amazing, funny girl. Her death has broken out hearts but we have 16 years of amazing, wonderful memories that will stay with us.”

Chloe was severely autistic and thought to have Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. She attended Oakfield High School in Wigan where she had recently been named deputy head girl.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Abbas had cared for Chloe since she was two and gave evidence that she had a behavioural condition known as “mouthing”. Meaning she often put things in her mouth, like her hands and fingers but also foreign objects, like batteries and bottle tops.

Ms Manniex said she had been to A and E with Chloe when she had swallowed objects.

Ms Manniex told the court she was “shocked” to hear how many plastic bags her daughter had swallowed and that Chloe normally indicated to her that she had swallowed something.

Chloe’s 16th birthday was September 16 and her family enjoyed a trip to Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool.

Chloe had stayed with her brother Daniel at their dad, Marc Linton’s, house the night before she died and her mum collected them in the morning.

After lunch at her home in Cross Street, Atherton Chloe spent time in the living room and her bedroom.

Ms Manniex told the court Chloe often slept on the floor and “if she felt the need to sleep she would”.

At around 4.20pm on September 30 Daniel told his mother Chloe was “flat out on the floor of her room”.

Ms Manniex went to wake her daughter at about 5pm and found she was “unresponsive”. Ms Manniex screamed for Daniel, who rang an ambulance.

Ms Manniex used the bags for changing Chloe and did not keep them in her room.

Ms Galloway agreed with her that it was not possible to know how Chloe had got the bags.