Dennis Jehan Zaib Waqar, aged 15 months, was at his father's friend's flat in Cambridge Gardens when the tragedy happened on February 4 last year, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

His father Khamin Waqar, accompanied by wife Maryna Novikava, said the couple had taken their son, who had a cold, to Khalid Mahmood's home because their flat was chilly.

He told the inquest: "I gave Dennis a couple of chick peas and Khalid advised me to make him some green tea, which in my country is a remedy for a cold.

"I was waiting for the water to warm up when Khalid came in saying the baby could not move his arms. He looked limp.

"Khalid thought the chick pea was stuck in the baby's throat and we called an ambulance.

"I got distressed because we didn't know what was wrong with Dennis."

Mr Mahmood said he was in the lounge watching TV with baby Dennis at the time.

"Dennis started coughing and I patted his back firmly to dislodge the pea but that didn't work," he said.

"I was so scared at what was going on I brought him into the kitchen to his father.

"There was something about the cough that made me think something was wrong."

Coroner Alan Craze described the boy's death as a 'tragedy'.

He said: "I would be failing in my duty if I did not state the obvious dangers of giving children something hard to eat which they cannot chew because they are not old enough.

"This very sadly resulted in Dennis choking. It is terribly easy to be wise after the event."

He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

After the inquest Mr Waqar said Dennis had eaten chick peas on previous occasions without any trouble as well as food like chicken.

Paying tribute to his baby son after the inquest, he said: "Dennis was a good baby and very clever.

"He understood Russian, Pashto, Urdu and English when spoken to.

"Whenever Dennis saw something he never forgot it.

"One time when builders were working in the flat Dennis started plastering with them.

If he knew you liked to joke with him, he would join in.

"He would always greet his mum every day when she returned from work.

"My eight brothers absolutely adored him."