THE father of Poppi Worthington received £25,000 to fight an inquest into death of his daughter - despite refusing to answer 252 questions in the hearing.

A coroner concluded that Paul Worthington, 50, had probably sexually abused his 13-month-old daughter before she suffocated in her father's bed on December 12 2012.

David Roberts, senior coroner for Cumbria ruled in January 2018 that she was probably sexually assaulted by her father.

Mr Worthington refused to answer questions put to him during the inquest in Kendal, relying on rules which allowed him to refuse to respond in case he incriminated himself.

Nobody has been charged over Poppi's death.

Mr Worthington has been in £50,000-a-year police protection and will also receive legal aid for a failed challenge to the coroner’s ruling.