A Birmingham coroner has recorded an open verdict at an inquest into the death of a young mother who was found hanged next to her two young children.

Aidan Cotter said there was not enough evidence to suggest Musammat Mumtahana had taken her own life when found with sons Raheem, two and Nahim, one, at their home in Radnor Road, Handsworth, on October 4, 2006.

Mr Cotter concluded the two children were killed unlawfully at an inquest into the deaths at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.

He said all three deaths were caused as a result of hanging by ligature.

A statement by Dr John Alistair Vale, who treated Musammat Mumtahana at City Hospital, was read out at the inquest. He said: “She was suffering at the hands of her husband’s family.

“She said they gave her little food and made her do the household chores. I could not elicit a physiological condition but clearly there were social problems.”

The inquest heard earlier that her husband Shuhel Miah, a parcel sorter, had admitted that he had assaulted Musammat causing a wound to her forehead, which was treated at City Hospital.

Musammat was also admitted to hospital for self harming incidents.

On one occasion she stabbed herself and on another she drank bleach.

The troubled mother moved to Birmingham from Bangladesh in 2002 after her arranged marriage to Shuhel, 30.

Mr Cotter added that there was no issue of neglect in relation to agencies involved, despite the family being known to social services.

Yet he did recommend that hospital staff should report incidents of domestic violence towards women to the police.