Bow pupil Nasar Ahmed dies after eating 'allergen' in school lunch

Nasar had severe asthma and allergies

A schoolboy who died after falling ill in detention ate a meal he was allergic to before collapsing, an inquest heard.

Nasar Ahmed, 14, who had severe asthma and multiple allergies, fell ill in the supervised detention room of Bow School, Tower Hamlets, in November.

Two hours before he collapsed he ate tandoori chicken made with milk, Poplar Coroner's Court heard earlier.

Staff failed to correctly administer his medication before paramedics arrived, the inquest heard.

Bow School is in the London borough of Tower Hamlets

The Year Nine pupil had asthma, severe eczema and a host of allergies to milk, fish, nuts, wheat, apples, oranges and some meats.

Staff at Bow School tried to save Nasar as his condition quickly deteriorated, with first aider Cherie Hyde putting him in the recovery position as he struggled for breath, the inquest heard.

Another member of staff brought Nasar's personal first aid box, which contained an inhaler and EpiPen.

A third staff member was on the phone to emergency services asking for advice.

However staff failed to administer the EpiPen in the five-minutes it took for paramedics to arrive, the inquest heard.

Nasar's family released a picture of him as a young child

Ms Hyde told the hearing Nasar was not breathing well enough for her to administer the inhaler.

She focussed on his asthma, rather than using the Epipen, when he told her, "Miss, I can't find my pump," the court heard.

An EpiPen can help reverse the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.

Nasar's request for his asthma pump was not passed on to paramedics.

Pathologist Dr Liina Palm told the hearing she could not ascertain from the post-mortem examination whether Nasar had died from an asthma attack or an allergic reaction.

Dr Palm gave a cause of death as bronchial asthma that led to a hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, with multiple allergies as a contributing factor.