A former telephone engineer died on Easter Sunday after choking on his roast dinner.

David Barnes from West Kingsdown, was at a meal with his wife on Sunday, April 21, when he passed away.

The 77-year-old, who was born in Crayford, near Dartford, was half-way through his dinner at the Royal Oak Beefeater, in London Road, Wrotham Heath, Sevenoaks, when he suddenly sat up right and was short of breath.

An inquest at Archbishop’s Place, in Maidstone, heard how his wife Angela asked Mr Barnes if he was okay and if he had eaten his food too fast.

Mr Barnes then fell out of his chair and the emergency services were called immediately by the restaurant staff.

Two members of the public who were paramedics rushed over to perform CPR on the father before the ambulance service arrived.

After attempting save his life through CPR, and using a chest compression machine, paramedics declared his life deceased at 3.05pm.

Police officer Harry Kemp, who was one of the first on scene, mentioned in his report that Mr Barnes' wife had told them she thought he had choked on food, adding that she often told him he would eat too fast.

He continued, adding that there were no suspicious circumstances to the incident.

Coroner Roger Hatch concluded that the death of David Barnes “was due to a misadventure”, before giving his condolences to Mr Barnes wife and children who were in attendance.

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