Overgrown hedgerows affected a driver's visibility, leading to a crash that killed a motorcyclist, an inquest heard.

Motorist Richard Oldfield had pulled out of a country road junction and not seen biker Alexander Politowicz in time.

Assistant coroner Eileen Sproson concluded, at the inquest on Monday Feb 19, that the death was caused by road traffic collision.

The inquest heard that Kent County Council had since cut back the verges and kept them clear of road signs.

The accident happened shortly before 7.20am on Wednesday, October 11, last year.

Mr Oldfield, in a blue Audi Q5, travelled down Church Lane, Doddington, and reached the junction with Chequers Hill and began to turn right.

Mr Politowicz, on a Honda, was travelling along Chequers Hill from the direction of Lynsted and Mr Oldfield had not seen him in time, the inquest heard.

PC Robin Young, of Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said that hedgerows would have blocked the view of the car driver while waiting at the mouth of the junction.

He said: "The view is affected by verges and it is difficult to detect oncoming vehicles from the junction. "Mr Oldfield did not have time to take avoiding action except to stop.

"There were not sufficient signs or warnings on the approach to the junction."

PC Oldfield said that Kent County Council's highways department reported that it had cut back hedgerows and cleared signs of obstructions. It was also looking at placing a stop sign at the junction, as police had recommended.

Det Con Mark Robinson had interviewed witnesses after the crash and the one independent witness was a motorist called Hayley Russell.

She had been followed by Mr Oldfield's car as she drove along Church Lane.

Ms Russell successfully cleared the junction and had seen the Honda pass her at Chequers Hill.

DC Robinson said: "She saw from her rear view mirror the Audi coming out of the junction from Church Lane and the bike hit the side of the car.

"The crash was accidental and there was no culpability on behalf of the driver or rider."

The inquest, at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone, heard that a post mortem examination confirmed that Mr Politowicz died from multiple injuries.

Toxicology tests showed that he had taken nothing that might affect his driving.

Mr Oldfield had passed police roadside breath, drug and eyesight tests. Officers also found that he had not been using a mobile phone at the time of the crash.

There was no evidence to show that either driver had been distracted in the moments before the accident.

Police examined both the car and motorcycle and found no defects that might have contributed to the crash.

The weather had not played a part either. Mt Politowicz, 32, who was born in Canterbury, was a manufacturing engineer who lived in Doddington.

Members of his family attended the inquest and a statement from them was read out.

It thanked police for their support during the investigation and the support from friends.

The relatives said of Mr Politowicz that it was a "comfort to know that he had enriched lives."