A toddler was found floating in the indoor pool of a family home after she managed to sneak in unnoticed by other members of her family, an inquest has heard.

Saarah Booley, who was just 22 months old, was discovered floating in the pool at the family home at Marsh Lane, Easton-in-Gordano, by her uncle Omar Mollaggee on September 2 last year.

The coroner, who gave a verdict of accidental death, warned the family to keep doors into the pool room locked in future to avoid a further tragedy.

Saarah had been playing with her six-year-old brother Yusuf just minutes before the tragedy happened.

The inquest at Flax Bourton Coroners Court heard how Saarah, who was one of seven children, was being looked after at home on the day of the accident by her uncle Omar who was visiting the family from South Africa.

Saarah's father Abdul Booley, who works as a dentist in Devon, had left the house in the morning.

Her mother Rawieyah had taken three of the older children, all of which are home tutored, to classes in Bristol and had left the remaining four – Rushda, Aasiyaa, Yusuf and Saarah - at home.

Thirteen-year-old Rushda Booley, the eldest of the couple's children, was studying while her uncle Omar carried out work to the four bedroom detached property which the family had moved into the previous month.

She had just had a nap in the lounge and was planning to start preparing vegetables for the evening meal, when she heard her uncle, who was in the pool room, shout for her.

When she arrived she saw Saarah floating on top of the water at the deep end of the pool.

She jumped in and pulled Saarah out to the poolside where her uncle, who had rang the emergency service, tried to resuscitate her, helped by Rushda, while being guided by a paramedic over the phone.

Mrs Booley then arrived home, followed shortly by Mr Booley who also tried to administer CPR to Saarah.

Paramedics arrived minutes afterwards and managed to revive the toddler before taking her to Bristol Childrens' Hospital.

Despite attempts to save the toddler, her condition deteriorated and she died two days later.

The inquest heard that doors to the pool room from the garage, workshop, kitchen and laundry had been left unlocked while work was being carried out to the house.

Evidence at the inquest revealed that Saarah and her brother Yusuf had gone to see their uncle in the workshop and as Yusuf waited at the bottom of the stepladder to see him, Saarah disappeared.

The inquest heard that Saarah had used the pool in the past, using a special buoyancy suit.

Mr Abdul said that although their eldest four children, all of whom could swim, could use the pool, the three younger children were not allowed in there unsupervised.

Mr Mollaggee told the inquest: "I told Rushda that I was going into the workshop at 3pm and she would have been aware that she would have to look after the children.

"About 4pm I went into the pool room and saw Saarah floating on top of the water.

"I cannot swim so shouted Rushda and she pulled Saarah out of the water and put her on the pool side.

"I checked and she was not breathing and I called 999.

"The operator gave me some instructions to carry out CPR but there was no response."

Since the incident, new locking devices have been put on all the doors leading to the pool room.

A post mortem examination carried out by Doctor Marian Malone revealed the cause of death as immersion.

Coroner Brian Whitehouse, said: "We have heard that every possible effort was made to save Saarah.

"This was clearly an accident."