THE paramedic who found Habib Ullah in cardiac arrest after a police drugs search would have 'looked deeper into his throat' if given more information on arrival, an inquest heard.

Mr Ullah, 39, died on July 3, 2008 after being restrained by officers in High Wycombe who were trying to force a package of drugs out of his mouth, Buckinghamshire's coroner has heard.

When Mr Ullah, a father-of-three from Slough, “went limp” officers stepped back and called for an ambulance, the inquest heard.

Paramedic Kevin Thompson arrived about six minutes later at 7.38pm in a rapid response vehicle and “immediately saw the patient had gone into cardiac arrest”, jurors were told.

He said there were “no exhalations and no pulse” from Mr Ullah.

He was not initially told about the restraint by officers or that Mr Ullah may have swallowed a package of drugs, the inquest heard.

Mr Thompson said: “Had I had information he had been restrained that may have changed my examination of the airway. I would have had a deeper look into his airway to make sure there was no thing further down.”

He did not find anything blocking the airway, but a large bit of plastic was later removed from Mr Ullah's throat at Wycombe Hospital, jurors heard.

The police officers at the scene outside Lee Court, Sharrow Vale, did give more information when they made the 999 call, the inquest heard, but this was not relayed to the paramedic.

Mr Thompson said the only information he had on arrival was that the patient had 'gone limp', though he was later given more detail by officers as an ambulance made its way to the scene, the inquest heard.

However, he said the officers “were as helpful as they possibly could be” when he arrived and were “concerned for Mr Ullah's welfare”.

Jurors heard last week that some of the officers thought Mr Ullah was “faking” injury up until the paramedic's arrival.

They said they could not check Mr Ullah's airway while waiting for the paramedic because his jaw was 'clamped' shut.

Mr Thompson said he was able to open Mr Ullah's mouth when he arrived and added: “I would say he had been deprived of oxygen for some period of time.... In my experience it would have to be minutes rather than seconds.”

Doctor Diane Tran told the inquest on Friday that she had used a pair of forceps to remove the plastic from Mr Ullah's throat at the hospital.

She said: “I was very surprised when I saw the plastic. I wasn't expecting it. It kept coming and I remember thinking 'when is it going to stop?' I think it was a big likelihood it would have obstructed his airway.”

She added it would have been 'extremely difficult' to remove without forceps and she didn't see it when she initially opened Mr Ullah's.

PC Katie Gregory was the last police officer to give evidence last week. The inquest has heard officers were advised by a solicitor to remove or change parts of their statements to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, made the day after the incident.

PC Gregory said Mr Ullah had been coughing after the restraint, when he had been placed in a recovery position.

Her original statement read: “I could hear Mr Ullah make a noise like he was trying to cough something up.”

This was changed by a solicitor to: “I could hear Mr Ullah make a noise like a cough”, the inquest heard.

She said she could not remember why she was advised to change it.

The inquest continues.