The death of a Coventry binman who was caught in a bin lorry's lifting equipment and crushed was an accident, a jury has ruled.

But one of the risks was "foreseeable" and other things added to an "increased risk of missed opportunities" to keep him safe, an inquest concluded yesterday (April 22).

David Carpenter, a senior refuse collector at the city council, died aged 60 while at work on Guild Road in Foleshill last year. A jury inquest into his death opened earlier this month and heard that Mr Carpenter was lifted into the back of the lorry, suffering fatal injuries.

The ten-day inquest overseen by area coroner Delroy Henry concluded today, April 22. The conclusion of the jury was read out at court this afternoon.

Jurors found that Mr Carpenter's coat became entangled when leaning over the working machinery of the bin lorry, sensors were activated in sequence and he was lifted into the hopper and crushed.

They concluded the death was an accident, and the medical cause was crushing injuries.

A supplementary narrative conclusion highlighted other details. Evidence shows additional mechanical and electrical safety features would have made the bin lorry safer, the jury found.

It is "probable" that a transparent screen got in the way of Mr Carpenter accessing the emergency stop button as he could not reach this when he realised he was in danger, the court heard.

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"Evidence presented to the jury confirmed that the risk of a person being lifted due to entanglement of clothing on the comb was foreseeable," the jury added in their findings.

"The risk assessment was therefore inadequate, insufficient and incomplete." No specific training for cleaning or removing debris from the machinery was in place before the incident, they added.

"A culture of under-reporting incidents and near misses contributed to the increased risk of missed opportunities to keep Mr Carpenter safe," the jury concluded. CCTV also showed that Mr Carpenter reached towards the control panel before going into the "danger zone" at the back of the lorry, and it is "probable" that he believed this made it safe to enter, they added.