James Shipley, of Longford Crescent, was pronounced dead at his home on Friday May 22, despite the efforts of his wife, Shirley, and paramedics to resuscitate him.

The Nottingham inquest heard from Mrs Shipley, who said her husband had been diagnosed with asthma a few months before his death.

She recalled waking to use the toilet at about 3 am on the day of his death and noticed her husband breathing strangely and went to get his inhalers.

"When I got back, he had stopped snoring," said Mrs Shipley. "I switched the light on and noticed he had stopped breathing."

Mrs Shipley rang for an ambulance and took instructions over the phone while she waited for it to arrive. But despite her efforts, and 20 minutes of resuscitation by paramedics, Mr Shipley could not be revived.

The Nottinghamshire Coroner, Dr Nigel Chapman, said asthma attacks came out of the blue and were "so vicious when they do come".

He added that a post mortem revealed Mr Shipley had been sick during the attack and the vomit had got on to his lungs.

Dr Chapman said a very small number of people die immediately after asthma attacks.

He told Mrs Shipley there was nothing she could have done and expressed his deepest sympathy to her and the family.

Dr Chapman recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.