PARENTS have been urged never leave their babies alone in the bath after a five-month-old Asian boy drowned.

Acting coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of accidental death on Amir Mohamed Abdulah.

Mr Nelson said: "The consequences of this case must be brought home to the parents of all children in the hope it won't be repeated."

The inquest was told that Amir was found submerged in the bath at the family home in Wigan Road, Deane, on September 18.

He was discovered by his grandfather, Abdulah Vali Mohamed, when he went into the bathroom to wash his hands.

Water was running from the taps into the bath.

An ambulance was called and the boy was rushed to the Royal Bolton Hospital where he was resuscitated.

He was transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital but died 24 hours later.

Dr Melanie Newbold, consultant paediatric pathologist, told the inquest that the post mortem examination revealed the cause of death as drowning.

Detectives from the Bolton police family support unit interviewed Amir's mother Nazma Mohamed following his death.

She told police that she had pulled the plug out and left Amir in the bath while she went to get some clothes for him from the bedroom.

In the meantime, her mother and father-in-law and her three-year-old-son Huzefa returned from a shopping trip.

Mrs Mohamed, aged 26, heard Huzefa running up the stairs and running around near the bathroom.

During the police interview she said it was possible that Huzefa had set the taps running and replaced the bath plug.

Sgt Sarah Wallwork said: "Nobody knows for definite how this happened."

Mr Nelson said he was satisfied from the evidence that there were no suspicious circumstances and no third party involvement from anyone outside the immediate family.

The child's grandfather gave evidence at the inquest with the help of an interpreter.

Amir's mother and father did not attend the hearing.

Mr Nelson said: "With the benefit of hindsight, I am sure the sequence of events on that day will never be repeated in that household.

"To leave a child of that age unattended while another child was around is something which will weigh heavily on his mother for the rest of her days."