A FARMER died after falling on his icy driveway days before Christmas, an inquest heard.

Raymond Ellis, 73, left his home at 7am on December 17.

But he was found collapsed on the driveway of his Kirkheaton home 30 minutes later by a passing neighbour.

Anthony Westerby said: “At about 7.30pm, I saw Raymond about six feet up the driveway.

“He had a flask and a sandwich placed next to him.

“The drive was covered in ice and it was really treacherous.

“I went to his back door and alerted his wife Barbara to ring an ambulance.

“We both went back out to Raymond but we were struggling on the ice, Barbara put a blanket over him and 10 minutes later the paramedics arrived.”

The pair spent time gritting the driveway – which was described as quite steep – so that the ambulance could get access to Mr Ellis.

Yesterday an inquest heard how Mr Ellis’ fall had caused him to suffer a subdural haematoma – which is a collection of blood on the surface of the brain.

He died in the intensive care unit at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on December 22.

At Bradford Magistrates’ Court, Coroner Roger Whittaker recorded that Mr Ellis’ death was accidental.