A 76-YEAR-OLD woman choked to death at a care home in Salisbury, an inquest heard.

At around 8.40am on March 12, Mary Caldwell Quartermain, was eating a full English breakfast in the dining room of Bemerton Lodge Care Home on Christie Miller Road.

Salisbury Coroners' Court head that, soon after, staff in the care home noticed that her face had started to turn red, before she started struggling to breathe.

Staff in the care home began administering "back slaps and abdominal thrusts", as well as calling paramedics.

Paramedics arrived just two minutes later, and began CPR.

They were able to remove some food from her airways, as well as some liquid and "debris", but assistant coroner Ian Singleton told the court that despite their "best efforts", they were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead at 9.30am.

It was heard that retired shop assistant Mrs Quartermain did not previously have any recorded issues with swallowing food, and there was no feeding plan in place, as she was capable of eating by herself.

She had been a resident of Bemerton Lodge for three years.

Assistant coroner Ian Singleton recorded a verdict of accidental death.