A coroner has ruled that a farmer tragically died as a result of a quad biking accident.

Martyn Mawson, 52, a beef and sheep farmer of High Side Farm at the foot of Skiddaw, died at the scene after the quad bike accident on Sunday, May 3 despite multiple attempts to try and revive him.

During an hour-long inquest held this morning statements were read to the court stating that Mr Mawson had gone out to collect sheep, however, the family became worried when the sheepdog returned without Mr Mawson.

This prompted Mr Mawson's son, Eddie, to go and look for his dad, who found him lying with the quad bike on top of him. He quickly called for help and started CPR to try and revive him.

Multiple emergency services, including mountain rescue teams and the Great North Air Ambulance, were called.

A statement read on behalf of collision investigating officer PC Craig Irving said: "Considering the physical evidence at the scene and the account I was given on arrival. I am satisfied that the quad is likely to have lifted at the front during contact with a fallen tree effectively causing a wheelie.

"When the front of the quad bike lifted it will have bounced off the tree trunk and I imagine it will have been extremely hard to get back under control due to the terrain and gradient."

In his concluding statement, assistant coroner Simon Ward explained: "He set off to get sheep and the steepness of the slope perhaps played a part in him not seeing the tree trunk and he eventually struck it.

"The quad bike lifted up and no doubt toppled backwards and landed on Martyn and I do find that the weight of the bike itself lead to asphyxiation.

"The weight of the unturned quad bike caused compression asphyxia.

"Martyn very tragically died as a result of an accident."