A devoted dad-of-four died in his son’s arms after he was crushed by a tree he was cutting down, an inquest has heard.

Much-loved Ian Wall, 52, was killed almost instantly when part of the trunk – weighing about two tonnes – split and plunged to the ground, pinning him against another tree.

He had been volunteering with his son Stefan, 25, at idyllic Lorenden Park, at the time of the accident.

In a tragic twist, he had been clearing a plot of land to be used for families to grow plants in memory of lost loved ones.

Paramedics and the air ambulance raced to the scene in Painters Forstal, just outside Faversham, but an inquest jury heard he would never have survived the catastrophic chest injuries.

At Dover Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, devastated Stefan described the haunting moments which led to his father’s death.

Stefan said: “I climbed the tree and wrapped the rope around the top of it.

“I jumped back down and held the rope where we wanted the tree to go. He started cutting the tree. He cut one side, put his thumb up and then went round the other side.

“I expected the chainsaw to stop but it carried on going, which I thought was strange”.

A slightly incorrect cut meant the ash tree split into two pieces above the stump and fell in an “uncontrollable manner”.

Stefan says he ran to his dad and saw he was pinned between another tree and the split trunk, which toppled onto him.

“I cut one of the trees away to free him, and he fell into my lap,” he said. “I called an ambulance.”

Health and Safety Executive inspector Caroline Freeman described the way an ash, a particularly brittle variety, should be chopped and said “if the cuts are not made precisely, the way it falls is less predictable”.

It was revealed during the inquest that Mr Wall, who lived in Finches End, Painters Forstal, did not have the full qualifications to carry out the work.

A farmer for AC Goatham & Son, he had taken on the voluntary work for the Lorenden Parkland Trust, clearing shrubs in the 45-acre grounds.

Chairman of the Trust Derek Macey said Mr Wall had done a lot of work for them over the years and was “only too willing to help”.

Mr Macey said that he had asked Mr Wall to clear the plot, but on the day of his death on January 18 last year, he says he had never asked him to cut that particular tree.

He said: “We asked if Ian could go and tidy up the shrubland around the family memorial plot.

“He said to me that he knew where this was and he knew what to do. He knew a lot about trees, well, a lot more than me, and I took everything he said with good authority.

“He said he would try to do it when he could.

“The next thing I knew was when there were ambulances outside.”

Mr Wall leaves behind his wife of 27 years, Sylvia, his four children, Lisa, 31, Megan, 26, Jasmine, 26, and Stefan, and grandchildren Kody, Tayler, Summer and Paige.

Megan said on behalf of the family this week: “Dad was a much-loved man by us and all that knew him.

“Although a quiet man, you always knew of his presence.

“He was a very hard-working man who loved his job dearly and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family and others.

“We all miss and love him more than words could describe and a day doesn’t go by without any of us remembering him.

“He was taken from us far too soon.”

After hearing the evidence, coroner Rachel Redman directed the jury that it could only consider a verdict of accidental death, which it returned.

She apologised to Mr Wall’s family for how long the case took to be concluded and added: “We know that he was experienced with a chainsaw.

“He did not have the qualifications for that type of tree, but we know he was experienced.

“We do not know why he decided to cut down that tree as there was no direction to do so, as far as the Trust is concerned.

“But there is no finger of blame here.

“As the second cut was made, the tree split vertically and horizontally. It is something that should not happen, but it did.

“I would like to offer my sincerest condolences for your tragic loss.”