Ruling on balcony death

A verdict of accidental death has been recorded on a pub landlord from Telford who died after falling 12 feet from a hotel balcony.

Father-of-four Leslie Bird was found on the ground floor of the South Cliff Hotel, in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, in October last year after attending the National Domino Championships.

Police launched a possible murder inquiry after Mr Bird told medical staff he had been pushed.

But the inquest into the 57-year-old's death heard that may have been his natural way of making a joke to make light of his injuries.

Emergency transfusions

The 57-year-old who ran the Red Admiral pub, at Sutton Hill, had spent the day celebrating the success of his pub dominos team after reaching the finals.

He fell 12-feet over an internal balcony as he climbed the stairs to bed.

Despite his claim to have been pushed, no motive was ever found, and he had no injuries consistent with him being attacked or pushed.

He was treated at the nearby Scarborough Hospital where he was given massive emergency blood transfusions, but doctors were unable to save him.

His widow Brenda said she could not have wanted for a better husband and his grandchildren could not have wanted for a better granddad.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.