A 13-month-old girl, who died in a pool of vomit in her own home, was failed by social services, a coroner has said.

Sophie Casey, who had twice been taken to hospital in the months leading up to her death, died in December 1999 at her home in Frederick Street, in South Shields.

She had been fed a mixture of cheesecake, Weetabix, milk and ice-cream by her stepfather.

I am satisfied that that failure was gross in that it was total and complete

Terence Carney, coroner

South Tyneside coroner Terence Carney recorded a verdict of misadventure contributed to by neglect.

Sophie had previously been taken to hospital with a fractured skull and a decaying piece of sponge lodged in her nostril.

Mr Carney said the social services lack of involvement amounted to a gross failure.

"I am satisfied that that failure was gross in that it was total and complete," he said.

"The failure here was more than simple error and that failure, leaving aside a broader duty in the area of civil negligence, can be rightly and narrowly identified in the term neglect."

We can reassure people that we have done everything possible to ensure nothing like this ever happens again

Trevor Doughty, South Tyneside council

The youngster died at the home she lived in with her mother Emma and her mother's partner after the feeding incident which left her mouth, eyes and nose covered in vomit, the inquest heard.

The inquest heard how South Tyneside social worker David Potts, who had been assigned to Sophie's case, failed to pass the case file to a colleague before going on sick leave.

Mr Potts was dismissed after the tragedy.

The inquest looked at how social services failed to call a case conference about Sophie and how no direct action was taken over her welfare, despite concern from relatives and health workers.

Trevor Doughty, executive director of social care and health at South Tyneside council, said there were "serious shortcomings" over the way the case was handled.

"We have learned lessons from this tragedy and we can reassure people that we have done everything possible to ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

The inquest had been adjourned until Thursday when Mr Carney delivered an hour-long judgement.