AN 89-YEAR-old died following a fall from a loft ladder in his home.

Eric Besnard was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on October 11 last year from his home in Church Croft, Fownhope.

In a statement read to an inquest at Herefordshire Coroner's Court, his wife, Pamela, said she was in the house at the time but did not realise he was going up into the loft.

She heard a "crash" and went upstairs to find her husband on the floor with the freestanding loft ladder partially on top of him. The loft hatch was open and she could see that he had already retrieved the light from the loft to plug it in downstairs but she did not know if he had fallen as he was exiting or entering the loft space.

Mrs Besnard said he was a fit and healthy man for his age and had been up and down to the loft on many occasions.

Coroner Mark Bricknell recorded that Mr Besnard died from a fracture of the spine as a result of a fall from height. He also recorded the existence of prostate cancer but noted that this was of no relevance to the incident. He recorded that Mr Besnard died as a result of a fall from a ladder.