The fiance of a young mum who died in a Bradford hospital just weeks after giving birth today said he had been overwhelmed by people's messages of support.

Lee Huddlestone, of Thorpe Edge, said he and Kym Powell's parents had been inundated with messages of goodwill after the Telegraph & Argus exclusively revealed how his partner Kym died at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

He said the messages of support had further strengthened the family's resolve to seek answers about Kym's untimely death. "If taking legal action is the only way we can get answers then that is the route we will take," said Lee.

Kym, 21, died six weeks after giving birth by emergency caesarean section to her first child Ellie Mae. She died on December 12 after contracting an infection which eventually led to her lungs failing.

Mr Huddlestone, who now looks after their daughter, said he needed to know exactly what happened to Kym to help him to come to terms with her death. "I just want to make sure this is not allowed to happen to anyone else," he said. "If I give up now and no-one is held responsible it could easily happen to another young family. Kym was a healthy young woman, this is not a normal death," he said.

Lee said Kym was twice sent home from hospital without being given infection- fighting drugs. "We just don't feel like we have all the information necessary," said Lee, 24.

The cause of death was given as Toxic Shock Syndrome and Respiratory Distress Syndrome of Adults (RDSA). No post-mortem examination was carried out and, although the coroner's office was notified of Kym's death, an inquest was not deemed necessary.

"This is the most bizarre factor to us because we feel an inquest into her death should have been held," said Lee. "She had a trouble-free pregnancy and there is no apparent reason why this should have occurred."

A spokesman from Bradford Teaching Hospitals said the circumstances surrounding Kym's death were extremely rare and complex and hospital staff had not witnessed anything similar before.

The case has been referred to Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), a self-governing body set up to improve the health of mothers and babies by conducting confidential inquiries into their deaths and producing recommendations.

The couple were due to marry on December 4, the same day as Kym's 21st birthday.