THE parents of a three-year-old boy who tripped and fell under the wheels of a trailer have been absolved of any blame for his death at an inquest.

Little Michael Jolliffe was crushed under the wheels of the trailer which was attached to a tractor driven by his father at the family home in Stilebridge Lane, Marden, on Tuesday.

The coroner, Roger Sykes, said that under no circumstances should Michael's parents, Gary and Monika Jolliffe, feel any "personal responsibility" for the accident.

The coroner was told Michael and his five-year-old sister Eliska had been staying with relatives and returned home with their mother at about 5pm on Tuesday.

Michael ran ahead in the excitement of going to greet his father and tripped on some uneven ground - falling under the wheels of a trailer filled with rubble. He died instantly from head injuries.

Mr Sykes said: "Michael, in his excitement to see his father again, went to an area of the farm where his father was driving a tractor holding some hardcore on a trailer. Because of the noise of the engine and perhaps a cab radio, he did not hear that his son was there."

HSE inspector Peter Collingwood said Mr Jolliffe had always gone out of his way to ensure his children never played in his work area by fencing it off, covering gates in netting and never operating machinery when the children were around.

The jury unanimously returned a verdict of accidental death.

After the verdict was delivered, the coroner said: "It’s hard to find appropriate words to convey our expression of sympathy and condolence.

"They (Michael's parents) may naturally blame themselves for what happened but in truth this was demonstrably simply a dreadful accident with catestrophic consequences for the whole family."

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