A FORMER political lobbyist who returned to the UK from South Africa died after falling in a supermarket car park in Herefordshire, an inquest heard.

Ian Bramwell Greer, who was 82, built up a political consultancy, taking on clients including British Airways, Cadbury Schweppes and Coca-Cola.

In 1994, he was accused of being the go-between in a cash-for-questions row involving Conservative MPs Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith, who were allegedly paid by former Harrods department store boss Mohamed al-Fayed to table questions in the House of Commons, with Mr Greer implicated after being accused of handing the MPs their money.

But an official inquiry concluded that Mr Greer had not taken any money from Mr Fayed.

Mr Greer later moved to South Africa to set up a shelter helping the poor and homeless but moved back to the United Kingdom because of the political situation in southern Africa, settling in Church Street, Leominster.

An inquest into his death, which was held at Hereford Town Hall last week, heard he fell in the car park of the Morrisons store in the north Herefordshire town on November 4, having gone shopping with Clive Ferreira, who he lived with.

“I turned around and saw him lying on the ground,” said Mr Ferreira in a written statement read out at the hearing.

“He was conscious and said he didn’t want a fuss.”

An ambulance was called but, having lost consciousness, Mr Greer was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Hereford County Hospital.

County coroner Mark Bricknell recorded the medical cause of death as being an acute subdural haemorrhage with a skull fracture.

Mr Bricknell recorded a verdict that Mr Greer’s death was accidental.