A NURSE who told an inquest how she gave a Blackburn toddler a fatal injection shortly before his death has been charged with his manslaughter.

Jake McGeough, of Leicester Road, Blackburn, died after being given a muscle-relaxing drug instead of a sedative at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool in July 2001.

An inquest last October ruled that the 18-month-old was unlawfully killed in hospital after nurse Rose Aru told the hearing how she mistakenly picked up a syringe containing the paralysing drug Vecuronium instead of one containign the sedative Midazolam.

Merseyside police initially decided against criminal prosecutions in the case but reviewed the evidence and had further discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service.

A police spokesman said: "Following further advice from the Crown Prosecution Service Merseyside Police can confirm that Rose Aru, 59, of Macdonald Street, Liverpool, has been charged with the manslaughter of 18-month-old Jake McGeough."

She is due to appear at Liverpool City Magistrates on Monday.

The inquest into Jake's death heard that the youngster died from a heart attack as a result of receiving an unprescribed dose of Vecoronium.

Jake had been taken to Blackburn's Queens Park Hospital by his parents Keira McGeough and Wayne Knight after being taken ill at home and was later transfered to Alder Hey.

He had become restless during a scan, but instead of administering a sedative, nurse Aru, a nurse since 1972, gave him the muscle relaxant.

The decision was made after she consulted with nurse Lynne Maguire, but Liverpool Coroner's Court heard that neither nurse had the authority to administer the drug.

A spokesman for Royal Liverpool Children's' NHS Trust today said: "This tragic incident occurred almost three years ago and since then has been subject to a thorough investigation internally by the Trust which was then followed by a two week public inquest before Her Majesty's coroner for Liverpool.

"It would be inappropriate for the Trust to comment further at this time."