Farmer was killed by own machine

An award-winning farmer died when he was run over by his own combine harvester, an inquest has heard.

Father-of-three, Paul Warburton, 62, was working on his farm near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, when the accident happened on 1 August 2004.

He and worker Raymond Morris were stood with their backs to the vehicle when it rolled and Mr Warburton was run over.

Mr Morris, who had been driving the machine, said he had put the hand brake on. A jury ruled accidental death.

The pair had got out of the combine harvester to remove debris caught up in the machinery, the inquest heard.

This is getting close to what we might call a "real accident" Health and safety inspector, Roger Upfold

Mr Morris was able to jump out the way when it began to roll down a hill towards them.

But a wheel trapped Mr Warburton. He was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford but despite several attempts to revive him, he died of internal bleeding.

When Mr Morris jumped back in the machine as it continued to roll down the hill, the hand brake was still on, he told jurors.

No blame

Health and safety inspector, Roger Upfold, said the rachet mechanism in the parking brake was worn to the point that "I would not want to rely on it but that was not obvious before the machine was dismantled.

"This is getting close to what we might call a 'real accident' as opposed to other accidents we might investigate where there is some question of omission or commission," he said.

Mr Warburton's wife of 35 years, Hilary, 59, said she did not blame anyone for the death of her husband, whom she described as an "enthusiastic, strong and committed man".

Mr Warburton had written a column for Farmers Weekly magazine for the past 16 years and won the 2004 Farming for Wildlife award, put up by the South East Regional National Farmers' Union and English Nature, for his work advocating environmentally-sensitive farming.