THE dad of toddler Jack Harper, who died when his head got stuck between the bars of his bunk bed, has spoken of the tragedy.

Kevin Harper told the Oxford Mail how he tried to breathe life back into his son after finding him slumped in the bed. But despite the efforts of the 33-year-old househusband and an ambulance crew, the two-year-old died.

Mr Harper told of the hours leading up to Jack's death on Saturday night. His wife Nicky, 30, was out at work and he was at home in their terraced house in Hillview, Carterton, looking after three of their four children.

He said: "I took Jack up to bed as normal at about 6.30. He sleeps in the top part of a bunk bed and I checked him at sevenish. He was OK. I then leave the children till I go to bed myself later on. If you hear a noise you go and check it out. I heard nothing."

Mr Harper settled down in the lounge to watch Saturday night's World Cup game between Croatia and Germany. "It was after the World Cup match and I'd just turned the telly over to watch One Foot In The Grave. I suppose it was just after 10pm.

"Roxanne, our four-year-old daughter, came down to tell me Jack was hanging from his bed. He wasn't breathing and I called the ambulance people immediately.

"They told me over the phone how to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When they arrived shortly afterwards they also tried it and then took him off to hospital. We don't know the cause of death yet. Naturally, we're all shocked."

Jack, who was certified dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, was born on February 29, 1996.

Police are investigating his death and a post mortem was due to be carried out today.

The funeral is expected to be held on Friday at St John's Church, Carterton, followed by burial at neighbouring Black Bourton churchyard.

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