The inquest continues today into the death of a baby boy at a vicarage in Freckleton.

Yesterday the hearing heard that Ruth Percival managed to keep it all a secret until her dad James found she'd given birth in the bathroom.



He tried to revive the baby but he had died.

Her mother Susan Percival is also giving evidence at the coroner's court.

The inquest has resumed after it was decided not to charge anyone over the death in 2014.

The vicar’s daughter did not dare tell her parents that she was pregnant by a boyfriend they disliked. Despite living with her father and mother- in what was described as a sometimes oppressive household -she managed to keep her pregnancy a secret.

Her parents did not realise she had gone into labour and thought 28 year old Ruth Percival had a bad back or constipation, an inquest heard.

Speaking for the first time about his grandson’s shock birth the vicar of the village of Freckletonl, Lancs said in evidence: ''I was doing some ironing and I thought she had been in the downstairs for a long time.''

''I heard no moaning or howling - nothing. Then she came out of the bathroom with a towel in her hands. She said she was going to put it in the bin. She wanted a bin liner. Then I saw a baby’s leg and I said you can’t put a baby in the bin.

''I put the baby in the towel on the floor and tried mouth to mouth but he was clearly dead, lifeless and very cold. The umbilical cord was wrapped loosely around his neck. We went to the bathroom to put the baby in a clean towel.There was blood everywhere. I cleaned it up with hot water. I had no idea it was going to become a crime scene.''

The 66 year old clergyman, who has since left the parish, told how he knew his daughter had a pre arranged medical appointment that day. He told her to go upstairs and get changed whilst he cleared up.

The baby was left on a sofa when they went to the village surgery.

He added: ''I was in a state of shock. I did not make calls to the police or ambulance. One does not always work logically.''

The vicars wife told the inquest that she and her husband had no idea that their daughter was pregnant.

Sixty six year old Susan Percival was giving evidence at a hearing into the death of her grandson Jonathan who died in childbirth in a bathroom of the vicarage.

Susan Percival said she never saw her grandson alive and agreed with Blackpool Coroner Alan Wilson that the atmosphere in the Holy Trinity Church vicarage at Freckleton was sometimes so oppressive that her daughter Ruth may not have felt able to tell her mother and father she was pregnant.

The inquest at Blackpool Town Hall started last October but Mr Wilson drew proceedings to an early close when he said he was to contact the Director of Public Prosecution to review the baby’s death .

He did so in light of evidence that the baby could have been saved had he been given mouth to mouth recusitation.

The DPP said they were not going to charge anyone in the case and that the inquest could restart.

The baby was born on November 24 2014 and police launched an investigation during which all three members of the family were arrested.

The vicar and his daughter were questioned on suspicion of murder and Susan Percival was quizzed over the alleged concealment of the baby’s body.

At the earlier hearing the coroner was told how Ruth had gone for a termination but was refused because she was too far into her pregnancy.

Her then boyfriend and father of the baby Brian O'Hanlon has been contacted by the coroner but refused to attend the hearing.

Ruth’s mother said in evidence that she and her husband had met him two or three times but were not thrilled about the relationship.