The death of a garage worker crushed by a car was recorded as misadventure, a jury has concluded.

Ashley King was dismantling cars at VJ Automotives in Folkestone’s Park Farm industrial estate when a Ford Escort fell from its axle stand in November 2017.

Boss Vaughan Jones returned from errands to find the 22-year-old father underneath the vehicle and unresponsive.

A jury of 11 returned the verdict at Maidstone’s Archbishop’s Palace following a two-day inquest yesterday.

Misadventure means a death was accidental because of a voluntary risk.

On Monday the jury heard Mr King had no formal qualifications and was left alone to work on a Peugeot and Escort for more than an hour.

Mr Jones told the hearing it was unnecessary to be underneath the car because the work could be carried out from inside the wheel arch or engine bay.

He added Mr King should not have used the garage's car creeper - a mechanic's trolley - to get under the Escort because it had no wheels.

Assistant coroner Katrina Hepburn told the jury there was no evidence to explain how the car came to fall.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector will continue investigating the death’s circumstances.

Mr King, who was expecting his second daughter, was described as one of the “kindest and funniest men” and an “incredible dad” by friend Ed Dixon.

Mr Dixon’s JustGiving page raised £2,780 to help pay for funeral costs and a trust fund for Mr King’s daughters.

The ex-Folkestone Academy pupil died from compression chest injuries and had no alcohol or drugs in his system, medics told Monday’s inquest.

Paramedics, the air ambulance and police were called at 11.45am on November 16 but Mr King died at the scene.

A HSE spokesman said: “HSE’s investigation into this incident is ongoing therefore we are unable to comment further at this time.”