A WALCOT baby saw Father Christmas for the first time the day before he died, an inquest was told.

Dylan Gray-Wickens was found in his cot by dad Roger Gray in November last year.

The day before, the 13-month-old had enjoyed a trip into town with his parents and older sister. “You visited Father Christmas,” said senior coroner for Wiltshire David Ridley. “You had a McDonald’s. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was just an ordinary day.”

An inquest into the baby's death recorded sudden unexpected death in childhood as a cause. In a narrative conclusion, coroner Mr Ridley said there was no evidence of foul play.

He told the parents Dylan would not have suffered: “He would have just drifted off.”

The boy, who was born premature, had suffered some health complaints including constipation after a change in his milk formula. However, this was nothing that would have raised concerns, the inquest heard.

The night before Dylan died, he had a slight temperature and dad Roger, a roofer, gave him some Calpol.

When his dad checked on him the next morning, Dylan appeared to be fine. “You thought he was just sleeping,” Mr Ridley said.

Later that morning, Roger went back to check on his son: “That’s when you saw him. You say he was different now.” His lips were blue and he was not breathing.

“You yourself were in a state of shocking, running out screaming and shouting to your partner,” Mr Ridley told the inquest. “That’s when you got on the telephone to the emergency services.”

999 operators talked Roger through performing CPR. Despite his best efforts, paramedics took the decision to stop resuscitation when they arrived at the couple’s Raleigh Avenue flat around 1.30pm, minutes after receiving the 999 call.

Summarising mum Melissa Wickens’ evidence, coroner Mr Ridley said: “Understandably, you say the whole thing left you in shock.”

Forensic tests ordered in the wake of Dylan’s death proved inconclusive. Home Office pathologist Dr Russell Delaney said it was not uncommon for the cause of death to be unclear in children: “Some of these deaths may well be down to naturally occurring conditions that leave no trace.”

Mr Ridley concluded the cause of death as unascertained, but cited sudden death in childhood as a likely cause. He extended his condolences to the boy’s parents: “I appreciate the ordeals in regard to the loss of Dylan you will never get over. I have never been in that situation. I can’t understand how that must feel.”