AN ELDERLY recluse may have died because he tripped and fell over furniture and string he had used to barricade himself into his living room, an inquest heard.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of accidental death on 85-year-old Sydney Timmis who died in Leighton Hospital last November.

A post mortem revealed that he had died of bronchial pneumonia and chronic obstructed airways disease after suffering broken ribs in the fall.

The inquest heard how the retired British Rail gate keeper had been so afraid that Social Services workers would insist he left his home in Malbank Road, Crewe, that he tried to keep them out.

"He was a bit of a recluse but he was happy in his own little world. He didn't welcome visitors but was particularly anxious that social workers should not try and force him to move. He barricaded himself in. His lounge was very cluttered and he had tied string to all sorts of things," said his niece Mrs Maureen Nield of Wistaston.

Coroner's Officer, Kevin Greensmith, said he had taken photographs of the lounge and believed that Mr Timmis could have tripped over the string and fallen on to a coffee table, fracturing his ribs.

Mr Rheinberg said that there appeared to have been no attempts to force Mr Timmis to move.

"That was good, because he would clearly not have been happy anywhere else . I believe he had the right to live the way he wanted."

"It is not clear just how or when he fell but there were all sorts of objects in his lounge that he could have fallen over and into," he added.

The post mortem had revealed that Mr Timmis, who was a heavy smoker, also had heart disease.

"It is also possible that he could have suffered a fainting attack because of this and then fell onto furniture," said the coroner.

The post mortem revealed Mr Timmis had other serious medical conditions.

"His death may have been a happy release because he probably didn't have long to live and might have suffered," said Mr Rheinberg.