A HOLIDAYMAKER died after hitting his head on a kerb as he tried to get back onto his coach, an inquest has heard.

Retired security guard and fire officer John Raymond, of Crown Field Road, Glemsford, was touring Europe with his wife Betty when he suffered several falls.

An inquest in Bury St Edmunds was told that the 85-year-old was returning to his coach after visiting a restaurant in Vienna, Austria, when he missed the gap between the kerb and the coach. Reading evidence from Mrs Raymond, Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean said: “Clearly he had hit his head on the kerb and was not with it for a few minutes.”

Mr Raymond was taken to hospital where he was treated and Mrs Raymond said after several days she noticed her husband’s breathing had become “noisy”. Mr Raymond, who remained in hospital, was placed on antibiotics but died on August 22.

A post mortem said the cause of death was acute bronchitis that was contributed to by serious head injuries. The inquest was told hypertension could have led to Mr Raymond falling after long periods of sitting down.

Dr Dean recorded a verdict of accidental death.