A FIT and active 83-year-old who lived in a remote cottage died after it is thought he injured himself and then lay on the floor outdoors overnight.

Russell Bownes of Batchcott, Richards Castle died on December 10 last year after being taken to Hereford County Hospital the day before.

Friend John Jordan told the inquest at Herefordshire Coroner's Court that he took Mr Bownes shopping once a week and spoke to him on the telephone every day.

He arrived to take him shopping at 8.15am on December 9 and found Mr Bownes lying on the floor outside his cottage, with his chainsaw nearby.

His right boot had been removed and was next to his foot, which had sustained a small injury around his big toe.

Mr Jordan said he thought Mr Bownes had cut his foot with his chainsaw, which he used to chop wood for his woodburner, but he said he could not understand why but there was no mark on the boot from the chainsaw.

Mr Bownes was still breathing and an ambulance was called. He was extremely cold and went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance.

Mr Jordan said: "I can't understand why he never got up. Even though he was old he was really strong and fit. He used to chainsaw, do hedge trimming, rotavating, gardening, he would go miles.

"We couldn't understand why he never got up and into the house. He had his mobile phone in his pocket."

He said his phone rarely had signal but he found it strange as the phone was still in his pocket.

On December 8, friend Sylvia Sparey had dropped off a meal for him at around noon but had not seen Mr Bownes - she walked past the spot where he was found and he was not there at the time.

However, she found it strange as he did not call in the afternoon to say thank you for the meal, which he normally did, and she called Mr Jordan to let him know.

He was an active man and would often be out in the woods surrounding him collecting wood.

A post mortem revealed he died from multiple organ failure and hypothermic cardiac arrest and also noted a chainsaw injury to the foot, but this was not the cause of death.

Coroner Mark Bricknell recorded an accidental death.

Mrs Sparey said: "He was salt of the earth. Everyone liked him - there were a lot of people at his funeral." Mr Jordan added: "He was part of the area and well respected. He was a character and I miss him."