A GRIEVING father whose partner and baby daughter died following childbirth, says the Royal Bolton Hospital should be cleared of any blame.

Terry Moore's partner, Claire Hindmarch, and newborn daughter, Kimberley, died just over two weeks ago.

Claire, of Breightmet, was the third woman to die after giving birth at the hospital in just four months.

Hospital chiefs have carried out their own investigations into the deaths, but have now handed the cases to an external review panel to discover if anything more could have been done to prevent the tragedies.

But devastated Mr Moore is calling for the investigation to clear the hospital of any wrong-doing.

He said: "The inquiry has got to find there was no blame. The staff did everything they could to save both Claire and Kimberley. The care at the hospital was brilliant - I just couldn't fault it at all. This was just a very cruel twist of nature."

Claire, aged 32, was 36 weeks pregnant on January 10 when she told Mr Moore she was feeling ill and asked him to get her some painkillers.

Up until then her pregnancy had gone exceptionally smoothly, said Mr Moore.

At 11am the following day, he received a phonecall from Claire saying her condition had become worse and he rushed home to be with his partner.

The midwife was already there and an ambulance had been called.

Claire was taken to the maternity unit and a scan confirmed the baby had died. She had an emergency caesarean and was rushed to intensive care.

Doctors tried everything they could to save her, but her life-support machine had to be switched off in the early hours of the following day.

It was confirmed Claire's death had been caused by pre-eclampsia.

Mr Moore said: "I lost my baby and my partner within hours of each other. It should've been one of the happiest times of my life, but I've been left devastated.

"It has taken a lot out of me."

Joanne Spragg, of Darcy Lever, also died at the Royal Bolton after giving birth to her first baby, Ilaria, in October and a second woman died in the same month. Claire was the third case.

A hospital investigation ruled the deaths were three tragic coincidences, but chiefs are determined to learn any lessons they can from what has happened and referred the cases to an independent review panel, made up of a senior obstetrician, anaesthetist and consultant midwife.

Their findings are expected to be presented to the hospital trust board at the end of next month.

The Royal Bolton Hospital is the second busiest in Greater Manchester, with 4,324 babies being born there last year.

It is one of the hospitals shortlisted to become one of three maternity super-centres across Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and Derbyshire.