A highly-skilled paediatric nurse left her post because she felt she was a police suspect after the sudden death of her three-year-old patient.

Sister Sheila Sutton was nursing Naazish Farooq on a one-to-one basis on the night the little girl died from a suspected potassium overdose, an inquest heard yesterday.

Sister Sutton was caring for Naazish, of Great Horton, Bradford, in an intensive care room at St James's Hospital in Leeds. She was taking a break when Naazish went into cardiac arrest at about 4am on October 8, 1999.

Sister Sutton had injected potassium into Naazish's dialysis bag that night. This was in accordance with a prescription.

She told the inquest at Leeds Coroner's Court she went for a sleep in a seminar room at 3.40am, leaving a colleague to care for Naazish. About 20 minutes later, she was told that her patient had been taken ill. Sister Sutton said that she felt police questioning after Naazish's death was oppressive.

"I thought that we were helping the police with their inquires but I felt I was being worked up into making a confession," she said.

She said she felt police were treating her as a suspect. She became sick and unwell with stress after the interviews.

Sister Sutton said she took up to two years off work before returning to her job. "I tried to go back to exorcise demons but it didn't work," she said.

Sister Sutton, now a community nurse, said she had never been criticised about her work.

The inquest has heard that a phenomenally high potassium level of 18.9 was recorded in Naazish as staff tried to resuscitate her. A second blood gas reading of 12.4 was also lethal. A normal level is 3.5-5.

Naazish was diagnosed with lymph cancer when she was transferred to the hospital from St Luke's in Bradford on Sept-ember 24. She was very ill on admission but improving at the time of her unexpected death.

Sister Jane Bartley said she tried to revive Naazish with cardiac massage. She regarded the 18.9 blood gas potassium level as "a rogue sample."

The inquest was adjourned until May 23 when another week of evidence is expected to be heard. There will then be a final adjournment until the coroner gives his findings.