Hillsborough inquests: Mother of Sarah Hicks 'hugged daughter's body in mortuary and didn't believe she was dead'
By Damon Green: ITV News Correspondent
Sarah Hicks' mother Jenni told the Hillsborough inquest that when she hugged Sarah's body in the mortuary after the disaster she couldn't believe she was dead - because she was "as warm as toast".
Jenni told the jury she asked a police officer on duty if he was sure the 19-year-old was really dead.
The mother had waited in desperation for her husband and daughters to emerge from the Leppings Lane terraces, unaware that the girls had died.
They had arranged to meet them at a sweet shop at the corner of Leppings Lane.
"I had no money, no car keys, i just wanted some help. The police just told me to go back to the car.
"Approaching the car park, I could see that my car was the only car there, and there was no sign of my family."
Jenni was picked up by police and taken to a police station - then taken to hospital, but found no trace of her family.
It was then that she returned to the makeshift mortuary at Hillsborough, expecting to identify the body of her younger daughter Vicki.
"We didn't realise that Sarah could be there, we thought she was alive," she said. "We were shown a big board with all these polaroid photos.
"I said: are all these people dead? I couldn't believe there were all these photos.
"I didn't want to look. The first time I looked, I didn't recognise her on the pictures, I was so relieved.
"Then the police officer said: `look again love' and when I looked again I saw her. The picture was there.
"First of all I hugged Vicki. She seemed quite cold. Then I hugged Sarah and she was as warm as toast.
"I asked a police officer why she was so warm. Are you sure she's dead?"