A YOUNG mum died of pneumonia hours after opening Christmas presents with her two children.

Kelly Shaw, 27, was found dead on Boxing Day morning by her boyfriend Ian Wells.

Although she had been unwell on Christmas Day, she had spent the evening with her children, eight-year-old Brandon and five-year-old Chantel.

An inquest heard how Ms Shaw, of Whitecroft Avenue, Shaw, Oldham, had been suffering from a cough and had been nursing a back injury in the days leading up to her death.

A post-mortem examination carried out by consultant pathologist Dr Naomi Carter showed she had died of severe pneumonia.

In her report, Dr Carter said: "Pneumonia usually can be treated effectively by antibiotics and it was unusual to see it at this level.

"Young people might not appreciate how serious it can be."

Dr Carter said Ms Shaw's reduced mobility because of her back injury meant she was at a greater risk of succumbing to pneumonia.

Ms Shaw told family and friends she had injured herself by tripping over her cat in the middle of the night and banging her back on a small table.

Initially, Mr Wells was arrested and interviewed on suspicion of murder after Ms Shaw's death, but police later ruled out any suspicious circumstances.

The inquest heard that Ms Shaw attended hospital twice in three days and was prescribed the painkillers diazepam and tramadol. Post-mortem tests revealed toxic levels of tramadol - but at the lower end of the scale usually seen in deaths.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a narrative verdict that Ms Shaw died from natural causes, to which the ingestion of an excessive amount of prescribed medication was a contributory factor.

He said: "There is no room for doubt that the underlying cause of Ms Shaw's death was that of pneumonia.

"It is certainly rare for someone as young as Kelly Shaw to die in these circumstances. This is certainly a wholly unexpected and tragic death."

Speaking after the inquest, Ms Shaw's mum Patricia Senior described her daughter as `one in a million'. She said she was a popular and happy-go-lucky woman who had many friends.