OLD soldier Jaroslaw Lojisz's colourful life came to an end after he fell from a ladder, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told that the Ukraine-born Mr Lojisz, of Suffolk Street, Blackburn, had fought for the Russians in the Second World War and had spent time in a German POW camp.

He came to the UK in 1947 and travelled around before settling in Blackburn, where he worked as a labourer until his retirement.

His granddaughter Mrs Maria Boar told the inquest that she had never met her grandfather until 1996. At that time he was suffering from angina.

Mrs Boar married in 1999 and moved away but kept in regular contact with her grandfather. She spoke to him on the phone on June 30 and he was in good spirits.

Later that day she received a call to say he had fallen and been taken to hospital.

Neighbour Kenneth Wolfendale said he was in his garden when he heard someone shouting help and realised it was coming from Mr Lojisz's back garden. He climbed over the wall and found his 86-year-old neighbour lying on the floor.

Mr Wolfendale said the ladder was on the floor but there were marks in the soil where it had been propped against the tree and he assumed Mr Lojisz had fallen while cutting the tree.

Next-door neighbour Mrs Ann Huck, who called the ambulance, said the tree was about 20ft high. "It had started as just a little tree and he had a lot of pride in it growing and growing," said Mrs Huck.

Mrs Boar said her grandfather had undergone surgery for broken bones and had seemed to be making a good recovery. She visited one day and he seemed fine but after she had left the hospital she got a call to return because he had taken a turn for the worse. When she got back Mr Lojisz was in a coma and he never regained consciousness.

The cause of death was bronchopneumonia and septicaemia caused by multiple fractures. Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a verdict of accidental death.