A DAREDEVIL stunt ended in tragedy, killing teenager Gareth Oliver.

The 16-year-old, who had been drinking with school friends at the time of his death, was doing a handstand on the safety railings over the subway on the Asda side of Pilkington Way when he slipped and plunged 20ft to the floor.

Rushed to Bury General Hospital, Gareth was given a head X-ray before then being transferred to North Manchester General Hospital for a brain scan and emergency surgery to drain a blood clot. He died two days after the accident in August, never having regained consciousness.

An inquest in Bury heard on Wednesday how Gareth, of Coomassie Street, may have completed a similar daring handstand on a bridge nearby with a 50ft drop - prior to the tragedy.

"He had drunk some alcohol," said friend Miss Emma Young (15) of Ringley Road West, Radcliffe. She was the first to reach the fatally injured Gareth after the fall and gave him first-aid treatment.

Gareth and his five friends were heading towards McDonalds when the teenager attempted to complete the handstand before somersaulting off the barrier, his friends later believed.

"He lost his balance and fell headlong to the subway floor," said Michael Duffy (16) of Bridgefield Street, Radcliffe. The hearing was told Mr Duffy had shouted to Gareth: "Get down, don't be so stupid."

A post mortem later revealed death was due to severe head injuries.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Mr Barrie Williams said: "In his exuberance and high spirits, possibly prompted by what he had been drinking, Gareth took this inherently dangerous course of action which ended so tragically."

His family were praised by the coroner for releasing Gareth's internal organs for transplant surgery after his death.

At the time of the tragedy, the teenager's mother, Mrs Gwen Partington, said: "Everything was just starting for him. He was working weekends at a fruit shop in Bury and was hoping to go full-time. He had also been invited to visit a friend in Canada."

Gareth, whose father, Mr Michael Oliver, lives in Chapelfield, was a budding musician and also trained in kick boxing at Coney Green Sports Centre. His cousin is the Bury boxer Dave Clavering. Only a week before his death, the teenager was said to be "over the moon" after learning he had passed four GCSEs.

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