A man was crushed to death in a bin lorry after he climbed in a skip at Huddersfield Bus Station to keep warm.
An inquest heard that Christopher Ogden, 23, died in the early hours of January 23 last year after he had been on a night out drinking with his friend.
Tragically Mr Ogden - father of a two-year-old son, Alfie - was not discovered by bin lorry bin workers who emptied the skip into the back of their vehicle.
He was only found hours later at a recycling plant .
The inquest at Bradford Coroners' Court yesterday heard how Mr Odgen died as a result of traumatic asphyxia, caused by the bin lorry machinery .
The court heard it was not until around 1pm the same day that waste workers at Leeds Paper Recycling, where the lorry took its load, raised the alarm on finding what appeared to be a body on the conveyor belt and police were called.
Mr Ogden's devastated family today questioned why the skip was not searched before it was tipped into the compacting lorry.
But a police investigation into Mr Ogden's death found no criminal liability or fault on the part of Leeds Paper Recycling or West Yorkshire Transport Executive.
Police initially investigated and used CCTV in Huddersfield to map where Mr Ogden and his friend Dean Biddlecombe had been on the fateful night.
The court heard how the pair had drunk beer and smoked cannabis then got the bus from Elland to Huddersfield and spent several hours drinking in the town centre.
The court heard when they were in the Camel Club, Mr Ogden fell asleep three times and on the third occasion was escorted out by door staff.
He then was spotted on CCTV staggering around Market Street and spent a few hours wandering backwards and forwards to the Bus Station which was closed.
The court heard a lone figure was later spotted on CCTV and appeared to climb into the skip.
Assistant Coroner Dominic Bell called HGV Waste operative Anthony Flynn to give evidence.
He told the court he arrived at Huddersfield Bus Station at 5.48am and spent four minutes emptying bins and a skip.
He told the court the bins were locked and he had a key to open them but the skip was enclosed with an opening at one end.
He said the open end was attached to the lorry to empty it.
Mr Flynn said: “You can't see what's underneath and because of health and safety we are not allowed in."
He confirmed he carried out a superficial check but this was to check it was the correct waste.
But the family of Mr Ogden accused Mr Flynn of not checking.
Mum Sharon Ogden broke down in tears saying: “Why did nobody check before they emptied them?
“I just don't understand how he could be dumped and ploughed and picked up before anybody noticed him”.
Mr Ogden's father Jason questioned why workers did not hear anyone in the skip but they told the noise of the machinery would be very loud.
Coroner Dr Bell told the court: “I accept the evidence from CCTV that at 4.47am on January 24 Christopher Ogden entered a skip with the intention of seeking shelter and a place to sleep.
“At 5.48am collectors from the waste company arrived and within four minutes emptied both bins and a skip.
“Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said that Mr Ogden would have died after that collection from the mechanism of traumatic asphyxiation. He has been crushed by a large metal object."
He said Mr Ogden's 'cognitive function' may have been impaired at the time of his death by a combination of alcohol and cannabis at a low level.
Dr Bell recorded a verdict of accidental death (alcohol and drug related).
Mr Ogden's family stormed from the court room as the verdict was read.
Earlier brother Philip Ogden, talking about cannabis, said: “I smoked it last night and I am fine."
He had earlier told the inquest: “I have worked for a bin company, and the rules was if it was a town centre and the early hours in the morning we had to check them because of homeless people. Every time we came to a bin we had to check.”
Coroner Dr Bell said he will be writing to Kirklees Local Authority Licensing to ask if they are aware of any cases such as this and who would be best placed to consult on preventing future instances 'where homeless or others take refuge in this way, particularly in winter in city centres'.
He expressed the court’s sympathy to Mr Ogden's family.
