A mother cleared of murdering her daughter said she will never overcome the pain of losing the child who "brought joy to my life".

Sadia Ahmed, 28, said that she herself died the day she lost 14-month-old Inaya, who she loved "more than anything in this world".

She had been accused of murdering the toddler by smothering her with a pillow at their home in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow on April 17 2016. The child died in hospital three days later.

Sadia Ahmed: Jury clears mother of smothering her 14-month-old daughter with a pillow

A jury found the case against her not proven by majority following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

In a statement read by her lawyer Aamer Anwar outside the court, Ms Ahmed said: "The short time I got to spend with my daughter Inaya will forever be the most cherished moments of my life.

"The day she was born brought joy to my life which had become full of such suffering from the day I was married.

"No one can imagine the pain of a mother losing her baby. I will never see her smile again or be able to hold her in my arms.

"The nightmare did not end with her death but continued with being accused of the most horrific crime possible, the murder of one's child, my Inaya.

"I loved her more than anything in this world and always will."

Sadia Ahmed: Jury clears mother of smothering her 14-month-old daughter with a pillow

She added: "My life is over. I died the day I lost my Inaya and nothing will ever take that pain away."

Ms Ahmed had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the jury took just over an hour to reach a verdict on Wednesday.

The prosecution claimed she "calmly snuffed out the life" of her daughter, however the defence suggested the child died after choking on some bread.

Ian Duguid QC, defending, had urged the jury to return a verdict of acquittal.

Addressing the jury on Tuesday, he questioned the idea of an initial attempt at a cover-up and suggested that ''the truth might be that she really choked on bread''.

He told how everybody who was interviewed on the day in question ''was giving exactly the same story''.

Mr Duguid spoke of evidence of food debris in the toddler's lungs and said Inaya had not been properly weaned on to solid food.

Choking would be ''a lot more likely for this child'', he said.

Sadia Ahmed: Jury clears mother of smothering her 14-month-old daughter with a pillow

Charging the jury earlier on Wednesday, judge Lord Matthews said the case rested on circumstantial evidence.

He said: "No crown witness has said they saw the accused putting the pillow over Inaya's face. The crown case is a circumstantial one."

He added: "If this was a death caused by bread you will acquit. If you are not satisfied that the accused placed a pillow over her head and killed her that way then that's the end of the crown case."

Lord Matthews urged the jury to put their emotions aside when reaching a verdict.

He told them: "This sort of trial will obviously raise strong emotions but the sort of considerations and sympathy for the accused or sympathy for Inaya must play no part in your deliberations."

Ms Ahmed looked composed as the verdict was announced but appeared emotional as she left the court room.