A NORTH Yorkshire baby lived for only two days after suffering brain damage at birth, an inquest heard.

Coroner Geoff Fell adjourned the hearing in Harrogate into the death of Alfred Martin to a date to be fixed, to allow North Yorkshire Police to conclude their investigations into the death.

The General Medical Council has also been informed, and hospital managers have revealed that they have dispensed with the services of the locum registrar on duty during the delivery.

A team of ten detectives and a similar number of support staff, led by Detective Inspector Mike Moore, is working on the case. An incident room has been set up at Harrogate Police Station.

Alfred, known to his parents as Alfie, was born at Harrogate District Hospital on February 28. The next day he was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary where he died on March 2.

A post-mortem examination had shown the cause of death to be brain damage due to oxygen starvation during delivery.

Det Insp Moore said that as a result of the death, the hospital had reviewed its procedures at birth.

The family issued a statement through North Yorkshire Police saying: "We are devastated by the tragic death of Alfie." Miles Scott, chief executive of Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust, said: "We would like to reiterate our deepest sympathy to the Martin family following the tragic death of their baby, Alfred.

"His death has been a devastating experience for the Martin family.

"We hope that the inquest, together with an interim investigation already undertaken by Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust, will establish all the circumstances."

Updated: 10:21 Saturday, April 20, 2002