A BINMAN was crushed to death after he was accidentally run over by a dustcart at a Hampshire landfill site, a jury heard.

Arthur Whitear, who was known as Archie, was pulled under the wheels of the dustcart after he slipped from a step on the side of the vehicle.

Mr Whitear, 60, was finishing his second round of the day as a refuse collector for Fareham Borough Council by depositing rubbish at the Paulsgrove landfill site near Port-chester when the accident happened.

Portsmouth coroner's court heard from Rodney Bown who was driving the lorry at the time of the accident on the afternoon of January 6.

He said: "I was pulling forward away from the rubbish that had come out of the back.

"I remember seeing Archie at the window on the passenger side. One minute he was there the next he wasn't.

"I stopped instantly and came round to see Archie lying on his back by the wheels. His left arm looked as though it was pinned down by the wheel."

The inquest jury also heard from another eyewitness Neil Saunders who was also at the Paulsgrove tip, owned by waste management firm Onyx.

Mr Saunders described how Mr Whitear, a grandfather who was on the verge of retiring after 37 years as a refuse collector, was attempting to swing up on to the side step of the vehicle by using the wing mirror bracket, when he slipped and was dragged underneath the wheels.

As a result of the accident Mr Whitear, of The Crossways, Portchester, sustained multiple injuries including internal bleeding, a fractured pelvis and ribs.

The inquest was told how the practice of riding on the side of the vehicle was deemed to be unsafe by both Fareham council and operators of the site Onyx.

However, question marks were raised over the stringent health and safety checks that were carried out to ensure employees were aware of the risks.

Heath and Safety Inspector Roger Upfold told the inquest how an investigation had been launched following the accident and that the inquiries were ongoing. Mr Whitear's widow Patricia, 59, described her husband as a "happy-go-lucky man".

She told of how the couple had spent a wonderful weekend together before the accident that had included a win on the bingo and a family gathering.

It took just ten minutes for the jury to return a verdict of accidental death.