A MAN died after choking on a chicken bake he had bought for lunch at Greggs, an inquest has ruled.

Leslie Hume was having some food with his stepson, Andrew Mallon, at the bakery chain in Teesside Shopping Park, near Thornaby, on Saturday, August 19 this year when the tragic accident happened.

Staff and customers at the bakery joined Mr Mallon is trying to save the life of the 66-year-old, who lived in Hardwick, Stockton.

Emergency services also descended via air and land on the popular shopping park on a busy Saturday lunchtime, but despite their best efforts, Mr Hume died in hospital two days later.

The retired bricklayer was already disabled, having suffered a stroke in his 50s and used a wheelchair.

An inquest at Teesside Coroner’s Court in Middlesbrough Town Hall heard the pair had been shopping when they decided to stop for lunch, and agreed between themselves to stop off at the well-known North-East bakery chain.

Mr Hume went to sit in the corner of the bakery by the window, while Mr Mallon went to queue for food - ordering a chicken bake and a tea for his stepfather, and a chicken sandwich and a tea for himself.

While eating, Mr Hume appeared to take a “large intake of breathe”, and his step son soon realised that something was wrong.

In a statement read out during yesterday’s inquest, Mr Mallon said: “He looked like he was going to cough and started pointing to his mouth - so I asked him if he was alright?

“A lady nearby noticed he was changing colour, so I started giving him back slaps to try and dislodge the food.”

The woman nearby realised what was happening and managed to put the 66-year-old Mr Hume on the floor where CPR was performed for 30 minutes.

Land and air ambulances rushed to the bakery at around 12.30pm and paramedics tried to clear his throat.

Despite succeeding in dislodging the food, Mr Hume was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in a critical condition.

Two days later, the family of Mr Hume, who suffered from type two diabetes, made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support machine.

Speaking at the time, his niece, Clare Marx, said her uncle was a “very independent and strong man” with a “big personality”.

“He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him and cared for him”, she added.

Senior coroner, Clare Bailey, said that a post-mortem examination revealed Mr Hume died of “multiple organ failure following a cardiac arrest after choking on food”.

She concluded his death had been the “result of an accident”.