Cliff fall victim died of 'massive multiple injuries'

An inquest has heard how a man died as a section of cliff collapsed ontohim on a Suffolk beach.

Brendan Lavery, 58, was declared dead at the scene at Thorpeness by anair ambulance doctor who had been called with other emergency servicesto the tragedy on January 14.

Today (Monday) an inquest into the death of Mr Lavery, an electronicsystems engineer, of Culford Road, Ingham, near Bury St Edmunds, wasformally opened by Assistant Suffolk Coroner Kevin McCarthy.

The hearing in Ipswich was told that Mr Lavery had been walking alongThorpeness beach when part of the cliff collapsed, trapping him underneath.

Later a post mortem examination showed that Mr Lavery had died as aresult of "massive multiple injuries", said Mr McCarthy.

Describing Mr Lavery's death as a "major tragedy", Mr McCarthy adjournedthe inquest until June to allow inquiries into the incident to be completed.