A pensioner who fell from an ambulance and broke his hip outside his home died after contracting pneumonia in hospital, an inquest heard.

Peter Britton, 76, had been to Maidstone Hospital for a check-up on his pacemaker.

He fell from steps while in the care of two patient transport service workers in November and underwent surgery to repair a fractured hip.

Mr Britton, of Reculver Walk, Maidstone, was clinically obese and had suffered with heart problems and back pain. He died on Boxing Day.

His daughter Nicola Rapson told the coroner, at the Archbishop’s Palace, he had a stair-lift installed at his home and had been upbeat before the accident.

She said: “My nephew, who lives at home, saw the vehicle pull up. After 10 minutes he thought that was a long time as they hadn’t walked my dad into the house.

“He went outside and my dad was lying in the road. He asked what happened and they said they tried to help him but he fell.”

"Had he not sustained the fall he would not have died when he did" - Assistant coroner Chris Morris

Mr Britton, who grew up in Maidstone, told his daughter one worker was sitting in the front of the ambulance at the time of the accident.

Mrs Rapson also contacted the transport provider G4S afterwards but said she never heard anything back.

She said: “The other technician got out of the ambulance and opened the side door and put the steps down. He stood at the bottom and my dad came out from the first step onto the second one and fell.”

Assistant coroner Chris Morris recorded Mr Britton’s death was an accident and offered his sympathies to the family.

He said: “Mr Britton died at Maidstone Hospital as a consequence of injuries sustained in a fall. Had he not sustained the fall he would not have died when he did.”

Mr Britton worked as an engineer for Sharps and Trebor and leaves a wife Isabelle and four children.

Mrs Rapson said: “He had a very dry sense of humour and he was extremely kind. You always knew he was there if you ever needed him.

“He was honest, reliable and wise. He was just a nice guy and he would do anything for anyone.”