Inquest into soccer fan's death

Mounted police like these were escorting 100 fans to the ground

An inquest will resume on Monday into the death of a Swansea City fan who died after being trampled by a police horse three years ago.

Life-long fan Terry Coles, 41, from Morriston in Swansea, died in hospital after suffering a fractured skull and crush injuries before the Third Division championship decider at Rotherham on 6 May, 2000.

An inquest was opened and adjourned a few days later. It is expected to take two weeks to hear all the evidence at Doncaster Law Courts.

The tragedy happened as rival supporters threw missiles at each other whilst about 100 Swansea fans were being escorted to Rotherham's Millmoor Lane ground.

Criminal charges against police officers were ruled out.

South Yorkshire Police and the Police Complaints Authority launched investigations, and the PCA later appointed Chief Superintendent Javid Akhtar of West Yorkshire Police to look into Mr Coles' death.

Terry Coles was a brewery drayman and a father-of-two

The Crown Prosecution Service announced in September 2001 that there would be no criminal proceedings against officers.

Members of Mr Coles' family, however, have not ruled out civil action.

Security video footage of the incident showed people crouching against a wall outside the ground trying to escape the missiles.

The police horse involved in the accident - one of three in use - had been cantering down a slope to deal with trouble-makers when it collided with Mr Coles.

Officers who viewed the tapes at the time said the father-of-two appeared not to see the horse, which rode over him.

The brewery drayman from Morriston in Swansea died late during emergency surgery.

A post mortem examination showed he suffered a fractured skull as he fell to the ground, but crush injuries to his spleen and kidney were the cause of death.