A New Forest pensioner desperately tried to save his wife as she choked to death in front of him, a coroner was told.

Peter Millie frantically battled to remove food from the mouth of his wife, Shirley, as she choked on a meal they were eating together at their New Forest home.

Southampton Coroners’ Court heard how Mrs Millie, 77, began choking as she ate dinner at the couple’s home in Cliff Road, Barton-on-Sea.

Ambulance crews rushed to the scene where paramedics were able to remove more of the food that was blocking her airways.

Mrs Millie was rushed to hospital, but the blockage had already caused the pensioner to suffer a cardiac arrest.

She died at Royal Bournemouth Hospital shortly afterwards.

The court was told how epilepsy sufferer Mrs Millie had started to find the process of eating and swallowing food “increasingly difficult”.

Mrs Millie had already been involved in “a previous episode of choking”, but her husband was able to save her on that occasion.

Pathologist Dr Jogai said that a “significant” blockage of both bronchi caused Mrs Millie’s breathing to become irregular.

This led to a reduced level of oxygen in the body, which in turn caused her to suffer a cardiac arrest.

Describing Mrs Millie’s death, coroner Keith Wiseman said: “This is a simple, but nevertheless, very sad event.

“In coming to a verdict, accidental death is the only one that is appropriate in these circumstances.”