A five year old boy who was in intensive care after having choked on some food a few days earlier in his family's home has passed away.

A few days before Christmas, the boy's mother had asked her parents to give the boy some food while she briefly left the room.

Soon after the boy began eating, his mother and grandmother saw him running in the corridor towards them. Noticing that the boy was choking, the mother tried to help the boy, however he lost consciousness.

The boy spent a number of days in intensive care but over Christmas, the family was informed there was no longer any hope for the child, and the decision was taken to turn off the machines.