The medical cause of a two-year-old Stourport girl's sudden death remains a mystery after an inquest - leaving her heartbroken family with unanswered questions.

Lexie Appleton's heavily pregnant mother now faces an anxious wait after being told one of her older daughters should have tests because a "puzzling" change was found in the youngest sibling's heart.

However, the change in Lexie's heart muscle was not enough to have caused her death, said a pathologist.

During the Stourport inquest a consultant admitted that junior doctors had wrongly told Lexie's mother, Charlotte Thompson, that the youngster may have leukaemia after being admitted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital when she fell ill four months before she died in her bedroom at home.

Paediatric consultant Dr Baylon Kamalarajan said: "It was a difficult situation with the family.

"They were told the child may have leukaemia and that was the fault of junior doctors for not having discussed this with the consultant."

A scan showed she had a "marginal" enlargement of her liver but blood results showed no evidence of leukaemia.

The consultant concluded her illness was more likely to have been a viral infection and she was allowed home from hospital.

He also found that bruising on her shoulder blades and forehead were "not significant" in a girl of that age, in a place that could easily bruise because the bones were near the surface.

Lexie was found dead in her bedroom at 8am on March 26 by her mother's partner, Peter Grosvenor, at their home in Bewdley Road North, Stourport.

Pathologist Dr Beata Hargitai, said no cause could be found for Lexie's death, despite extensive tests.

She had a slight inflamation of the heart muscle and a mild increase in fat in her liver cells - but neither could explain her death.

Worcestershire Senior Coroner Geraint Williams said: "Sometimes children die and we just don't know why."

He concluded at the inquest, also attended by Lexie's father, Craig Appleton, that the death was from natural causes of an unknown origin.

Lexie's 26-year-old mother later paid tribute to her as a "quiet, thoughtful and loving" girl who loved Peppa Pig and playing with Lego.

Sisters, Olivia, five, and Leah, seven, also wrote a poem in the funeral programme, including the words: "Our little Sister, we miss you so much, Your softly spoken voice, your sweet tender touch."

Miss Thompson discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child - due in five weeks' time - only a few days before Lexie died.

And she said she now had the worry of Olivia now being advised to undergo cardiology tests as a precaution after Lexie's slight heart abnormality was found.

Lexie's grandfather Stuart Thompson, 60, of Curdale Close, Cleobury Mortimer, said: "It's been very confusing from the offset.

"When Lexie first went into hospital in November three or four doctors said she had leukaemia.

"We had a written apology from the hospital consultant because they shouldn't have stated that in the first place.

"We wanted an answer to what was wrong - but there isn't one."