Shannon, of Hulme Square, had been eating lunch at Redhill Infant School, at about 12.30pm on November 8 2006 when she began choking on a piece of sausage.
Mabel Ellerker, dinner supervisor, broke down in tears as she told an inquest yesterday how she gave Shannon the Heimlich manoeuvre.


"I saw two staff patting Shannon on the back and heard someone shout 'she's choking'.
"We tried to force out whatever was in there by doing the Heimlich manoeuvre, about three times, but nothing happened."
Staff carried Shannon out of the dinner hall at the Queen's Park Drive School and into another room where a trained first aider also performed the Heimlich manoeuvre.


Head teacher Pauline Howe called an ambulance and relayed instructions to staff to try to remove the food, but Shannon did not respond.
Wakefield coroner David Hinchliff heard how paramedics also tried to resuscitate Shannon before taking her to Pontefract General Infirmary, where she was pronounced dead at 1pm.
Mrs Ellerker added: "We were all so devastated after what had happened, it just wouldn't sink in."


Shannon's mother Toni said in a statement to the inquest that Shannon had been a "fussy eater".
She added: "Shannon was a very happy child, and one that everyone loved."
On the day she died, Shannon had been sitting at the "golden table" – a reward for good work or behaviour.


Pathologist Dr Alfredo Walker said pieces of sausage, which had been cut into "bitesize pieces" by school staff, were found at the front of Shannon's voice box. He gave the cause of death as choking on food.
Mr Hinchliff recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Shannon's family released a statement saying: "Shannon was our beautiful little angel and we miss her dearly.


"It has been a very difficult and devastating time for us. Shannon has left a very big hole in our lives which will never be filled. We still cannot believe that this has happened, even after all this time.
"We would like to thank everyone at the school, the paramedics and the hospital staff who tried to help Shannon on that tragic day.


"We would also like to thank the community of Airedale for their continued support and everyone who has either contributed to or visited Shannon's site on www.gonetoosoon.co.uk.
"Most of these people don't even know us. All this support has been of great comfort to us."