A CORONER has been forced to dramatically halt an inquest into the death of a two-year-old girl from Hampshire.

The two-day inquest into Amelia Dew’s death was adjourned after a phone call was made to police earlier today.

Assistant coroner Robert Stone told the inquest: “There have been developments overnight.

“The police received a telephone call this morning which has necessitated them reopening their enquiries.

“At this stage all they are doing is taking statements.

“I’m actually obliged to adjourn the inquest at this stage to allow the police to consider their further enquiries.”

Police had arrested Amelia’s stepdad Robert Dowse, on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm but he was later released without charge when the Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence.

The inquest, which began yesterday, had heard that Amelia had been rushed to hospital with head injuries.

Doctors found a severe bleed on the brain and she died several days after being admitted after life support was withdrawn.

An inquest in Portsmouth heard how Amelia's stepfather Robin Dowse, who was living at the family home, had been looking after her and had told police investigating what happened that Amelia had hit her head on a metal bar of her hydraulic chair after falling backwards.

She then became pale and floppy and he administered cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

Her mother Natalie Evans, 29, had gone next door to see a neighbour at the time of the incident, on the morning of June 14 2013, but was called back by her partner then dialled 999.

At hospital Amelia, who was born premature at 32 weeks and suffered with myotonic dystrophy - a form of muscle weakness, was resuscitated six times.

The toddler was transferred to Southampton General Hospital.

Scans were done to assess the damage done to her brain by her initial injury and the subsequent starvation of the brain when she was being resuscitated.

Her parents Natalie and Paul Dew, of Gosport, agreed with doctors' assessment and life support was withdrawn on June 19 and Amelia died later that day.

Amelia's mother cried twice during this part of the evidence.

DS Stewart Hall, who was at the time working for the child abuse investigation team in Havant, said Mr Dowse, 29, had been interviewed under caution by police about the circumstances of the incident several times.

He said social services had been alerted after a doctor expressed "concerns that the explanation given for the cause of injury was not consistent with the injury".

And he said another doctor stated that it was a high probability that Amelia's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Initial post mortem findings, he said, "had not corroborated the suggested mechanism of the injury".