Three-year wait for inquest's end

Shahida Shahid died after suffering an apparent allergic reaction to a meal she had just eaten.

The 18-year-old, who attended Winstanley College, lost her fight for life in hospital on Monday January 12 2015: three days after collapsing outside a restaurant in Manchester City centre.

Inquiries later established Shahida had been out for a meal with friends at Almost Famous at The Great Northern prior to her being taken ill and may have suffered an allergic reaction to her food.

Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council’s Environmental Health department launched a joint investigation into the circumstances and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

These inquiries have now ended and police confirmed in February that no-one would be prosecuted in connection with Shahida’s death.

When the inquest opened at Manchester Coroner’s Court in January 2015, the hearing was told that Shahida informed staff at the restaurant about her food allergies and she was advised her chicken dish would be appropriate.

But Det Insp Chris Flint said the dish contained, or was cooked in, one of the ingredients to which she was allergic.

Shahida, who lived in Worsley, suffered from a number of allergies as well as asthma.

The hearing was told she began to feel unwell after her meal and, believing it was an allergic reaction, she used her inhaler and epi-pen which gave her an adrenaline shot. But she suffered a heart attack.

She died three days later and an autopsy concluded she suffered brain damage from oxygen starvation which was in turn caused by anaphylaxis: a severe allergic reaction.

The inquest resumption was originally scheduled to take place on March 1 this year, but was then postponed.

A coroner’s court spokeswoman confirmed today that it had now been provisionally scheduled for January 8 2018, but no explanation was given for the further delay.