AN open conclusion was recorded at an inquest into the death of an 89-year-old man who died in hospital.

David Byrant Jones, 89, of Orchard Gardens, Putson was admitted to Hereford County Hospital on September 10 as he was short of breath.

The inquest at Herefordshire Coroner's Court heard he was an active man who walked more than a mile each day to buy his newspaper.

While in hospital he had an unwitnessed collapse while walking in a ward corridor which resulted in a head injury.

Mr Jones died from a catastrophic intracranial bleed.

A post mortem could not be sure if the bleeding was caused by the fall or whether he suffered a bleed while walking on the ward which caused lost of consciousness and then fell causing more injury.

Coroner Mark Bricknell said he could not be sure on the balance of probabilities whether it was an accidental death or a natural death. He recorded an open conclusion