THE inquest into the death of a Southampton schoolboy who died in a cycling accident last autumn has recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Nine-year-old Joe Grice died after colliding with a Ford Transit truck on the busy Portsmouth Road on September 10.

The inquest heard Joe, a pupil at St Monica's Junior School in Sholing, was out with a friend gathering conkers just minutes before the accident.

However the boys, neither of whom had been wearing cycling helmets, had then cycled the wrong way down the A3025 into the on-coming commuter traffic when the accident took place.

One of the witnesses to the crash was 19-year-old bricklayer Michael Keisar of Bursledon Green who had been cycling in the same direction as the boys but on the correct side of the road.

Michael, the first person at Joe's side after the accident, said: "I could see the youngsters and I thought to myself I would tell them to get on to the other side of the road because it's was very dangerous what they were doing.

"I saw Joe lean to his left while he was trying to get back on the verge, but then he just lost his balance and then the Transit van went past and that was the last moment I saw him.

"I knew something had happened because there was a big bang and then I saw him go up into the air and that was it."

Deputy coroner for Hampshire, Simon Burge, said: "The fatal injuries were sustained when his head, not protected by a helmet, struck the side of the van.

"His injuries were so catastrophic he would have died instantly and would not have suffered at all, and I hope this can be of some consolation to his family.

"I offer my sincere condolences to his family and hope that the reporting of this case can teach other youngsters not to cycle without helmets and into on-coming traffic."