A THREE-year-old girl slipped into a life-threatening coma just days after having the controversial MMR jab.

Levi Ellis began shaking uncontrollably and lapsed into unconsciousness exactly a week after having the injection.

Today mum Cheryl Bell said she planned to press for compensation over her little girl's ordeal.

Cheryl, 33, of Glass Houghton, near Castleford, said little Levi began acting strangely almost immediately after having the jab at Castleford Health Centre in January.

She said her daughter was visibly distressed, began to come out in a rash and suffered sleepless nights.

A week later, when concerned Cheryl took Levi back to her GP, the toddler began to have a fit and fell into a coma in the surgery.

She was admitted to intensive care at Pontefract General Infirmary where for the next 24 hours Cheryl kept a bedside vigil, fearing she could lose her youngest child.

Levi came round a day later, but spent another week in hospital under close observation.

Today Cheryl said she felt "huge guilt" and wished she had never allowed her child to have the injection. The mum-of-three, of The Croft, said: "I really thought I was going to lose Levi. I kept asking 'Will she live, will she live?' but no one could tell me.

"If you don't have the injection you think you are hurting your child and when you do, and something like this happens, you end up racked with guilt."