A MAN died as a direct result of injuries he sustained 10 years earlier, when he collided with a car when riding his bike, an inquest heard.

An inquest was told that Julian Peter MacBenn, 23, known as Pete to his family, received severe head injuries in the crash as he rode back from Preston and had suffered from quadraplegia ever since. And Home Office pathologist Dr John Rutherford, who carried out a post morten examination, said he had died as a result of bronchial pneumonia as a complication of the long-term immobilisation resulting from his injuries. Pete's father, Julian Murray MacBenn, of Livingstone Road, Blackburn, told the inquest that Pete had been looked after by social services ever since the accident and he wished to publicly thank them for all they had done for his son.

The inquest was told that on April 1, 1989, Pete and a friend had cycled to Preston.

On the return journey one of their bikes suffered a puncture and they had gone to the lodge at a college in Hoghton to borrow some tools.

After mending the puncture they went back to the main road where the collision with a car occurred.

The police did not take any action against the driver of the car.

Coroner Andre Rebello recorded a verdict of accidental death.

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