A SEVERELY obese 14-year-old girl's habit of gorging on pickled eggs at night caused her to choke to death in front of her horrified grandparents, an inquest heard.

Anna Sexton, who weighed 22 stone and had a BMI of 47, had a habit of sneaking downstairs and eating pickled eggs by swallowing them whole rather than chewing them, the Gloucester inquest was told.

Anna, who went to Winchcombe School in Winchcombe, died on June 8 just hours after she had returned home from a diet club where she was being helped in her battle to lose weight.

Gloucestershire assistant coroner Caroline Saunders recorded that Anna, of Avon road, Cheltenham, died of misadventure despite the frantic efforts of her grandfather Michael Sexton to save her with CPR.

Coroner's officer David Peake said Anna had made allegations of assault against her parents and was therefore living with her grandparents, Sally and Michael Sexton, who had been her legal guardians since 2011.

"She was severely obese, weighing 22 stones," he said. "She had a tendency to gorge on pickled eggs at night.

"According to her grandparents, she would creep downstairs to eat them. She did not chew but 'shoved them down.'

"That night her grandmother went out of the kitchen to take a phone call then heard her husband shouting for help.

"She returned to the kitchen to see Anna lying on the floor in the lavatory and her husband performing CPR.

"She had been eating a pickled egg and choked.

"Her grandfather slapped her on the back in an attempt to clear her airways but she collapsed on the floor."

The ambulance arrived at 7.20pm and she was pronounced dead at 8.46pm.

"Ambulance staff struggled to get an airway due to her size," Mr Peake said

Medical reports on Anna said she had struggled to control her weight and although it went down in 2015 it had been increasing recently. She had a BMI of 52.7 at her last medical examination. Normal BMI is 25-30 for a healthy adult.

The reports said she had the full support of her school, youth support workers, social services and doctors.

Pathologist Dr Linmarie Ludeman, gave the cause of death as asphyxiation.

She had suffered a heart attack as a result of her asphyxia, she said.

The assistant coroner said "Her death was the unintended consequence of an intentional act."

Since her death Winchcombe School, has launched a musical award scheme in her memory.

She had been regarded as one of the school's most talented musicians and singers.

Headteacher Neil Hall said: "We felt as a school that we wanted to do something in her memory.

"Music was her big love, and she had been involved in various performances during her time with us."

"We are creating this award as a memorial to her."

The Anna Sexton award will be presented next year, and will be awarded to students for their contributions to school music.