A MAN who died when his head was crushed under the back of a tipper lorry he was working on was the victim of a fluke accident, an inquest heard.

And, despite an investigation into the death of Graham Thomas, 31, the cause of the incident would probably remain a mystery, the hearing was told.

Mr Thomas, from Heywood, near Bury, died from multiple head injuries when a raised part of the truck was accidentally lowered on top of him in Fern Gore Avenue in Accrington.

He was working as a self-employed asphalter carrying out road repairs on behalf of Norweb after electrical work on properties in the road on March 2.

The inquest heard that as he clambered underneath the raised trailer of the lorry to check the diesel, the lever controlling the hydraulics was accidentally knocked, causing it to lower on top of him.

Nobody knows how the lever was knocked and it could even have been by Mr Thomas himself, police told the hearing.

Mr Thomas died instantly, despite the efforts of workmates and paramedics who were called to the scene.

Keith Riding, who owns a chip shop on Fern Gore Avenue was one of the first people on the scene after the accident.

At the time he said: "Me and my wife were in the shop when I heard this scream.

"It was a horrible scream. I ran round to where the man was lying and I have never seen anything like it in my life."

Graham Hardwick, a health and safety investigator told the jury inquest at Blackburn Town Hall that no faults could be found on the truck which would have caused the trailer to tip.

He said no action would be taken against any the companies involved. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.