THE daughter of an 84-year-old pensioner crushed under the wheels of a double decker bus asked her father not to go out the day of the accident because he looked "unsteady", an inquest was told.

The inquest at Burnley Magistrates Court heard evidence that Willie Pickles, of East View, Trawden, fell into the road in front of the bus as it set off from a stop in Church Street, Trawden, at 4pm, on February 20.

Mr Pickles suffered severe crush injuries before being taken to hospital where he later died.

Investigating officers told the inquest the Burnley and Pendle Transport bus had just finished dropping off passengers when Mr Pickles fell into the road.

The driver of the vehicle, Albert Timberlake, had set off and the pensioner was run over by the rear wheels. He said: "When I saw the horror on a boys face outside I knew it wasn't a prank. I opened the door and heard him say 'a man, a man', and that's when I stopped. I stopped within a couple of feet of moving off because I was on a hill and going slowly."

Pathologist Abdul A'dawoud told the inquest the deceased had a heart condition and suffered a fractured femur and damaged muscle in the accident.

Anthea Lloyd, who lives in Trawden and had known Mr Pickles all her life, gave a statement to the inquest. She said: "The bus stopped at Church Street near to the junction of Colne Road. I could see Mr Pickles who was walking up the road and looked to be quite unsteady on his feet. The next time I saw the school bus it had stopped at Church Street.

"I saw some kids get off the bus and Mr Pickles appeared from the group. I couldn't see how close he was to the bus but as I watched him I saw him stumble and fall going down on his knees. The bus then set off and I thought 'crikey'.

"The bus then obstructed my view. I ran across the road and saw him in the road. He was conscious. I stayed with him until the police and ambulance came."

Mr Pickles' daughter Anne Adamson, of Laneshawbridge, said: "He was a little unsteady so we asked him not to go out that day but it was pension day and he had already missed one week so he felt he needed to go to the post office. It was such a tragedy."

Acting East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor returned a verdict of accidental death. He said: "From the evidence, he was a little unsteady and he did appear to stumble. It seems tragic that he stumbled at exactly the wrong time on a very busy road."