A WINDERMERE farmer died when more than two tonnes of straw fell on him and trapped him against farming machinery, a jury inquest heard.

John Michael Tuer, 53, was found by wife Eileen on February 16 last year when he failed to return to Common Farm to go out with friends that evening.

Speaking at the jury inquest, Mrs Tuer said the bales had been stored strapped to a trailer since the previous September and her husband had gone to use them as bedding for cattle.

She said the bales were big and it was the first time Mr Tuer had used them.

“He didn’t want bales like that because we didn’t have any form of handling them,” said Mrs Tuer.

The jury heard how the bales were around 8ft by 4ft and weighed about half a ton each.

PC Mark Dempster, who attended the scene, said the wet weather in the months before Mr Tuer’s death meant the tarpaulin covering the bales had holes in it, some the size of a fist, and the weather-proof coating had worn away in places.

“While the straw was covered, the rain had got through and soaked into the bales,” said PC Dempster. “They lose their structural rigidity and start to lean. The only thing holding them in place was the strap.”

He said it appeared Mr Tuer had released the ratchet strap holding the bales, causing between four and six bales to fall and trap him against the tractor.

Dr Adam Padel, who carried out the post mortem examination, told the jury Mr Tuer had fractures to his neck and ribs and that he suffered asphyxia due to compression of the upper chest and lower neck.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

South and East Cumbria Coroner Ian Smith paid tribute to the hard work carried out by farmers.

He said: “A farm can be a very dangerous place to work and to live.

“We owe a great deal of thanks to the farmers who carry out their role in all kinds of weather, working very long hours, often with very limited resources and very limited man-power.”