A MAN who nipped inside to check on his tea whilst talking to a neighbour was found dead with his head inside an electric oven ten minutes later.

But an inquest into the death of Paul Allen Sanderson, of Ravenglass Close, Blackburn, was told that experts were at a loss to explain how and why he died.

A pathologist gave the medical cause of death as electrocution but an expert who examined the appliance said it was in perfect working order and could not have been responsible for the death.

Dr Mohammed Aslam, who carried out the examination on the 43-year-old, identified the point of entry of the electric shock on the dead man's forearm.

He said the exit point was probably on the left side of the head but this had been badly burned while inside the oven so he couldn't be sure.

However, mechanical engineer David Smith said he had carried out exhaustive tests on the cooker and in his opinion it could not have provided both the live and the earth connection which would have been required for electrocution.

"The cooker was electronically sound and the aggrieved did not receive the electric shock from the cooker although it could have provided the earth," Mr Smith told the inquest.

Coroner Michael Singleton said the fact that Mr Sanderson's head was so far inside the cooker suggested he had been looking inside for some reason.

But Mr Smith said that despite his best efforts he could not make any part of the interior or exterior of the cooker to be electrically live.

The inquest heard that Mr Sanderson was discovered with his head in the oven by friend and neighbour Ray Marsden, who has also died since the incident, last August.

Mr Marsden said in a statement that they had been talking outside his house on the afternoon of August 9. He said that Mr Sanderson had gone to cook some steak after preparing the meat at Mr Marsden's and borrowing a casserole dish.

Having put the meat in the oven he returned to Mr Marsden's house and they continued "chatting and having a laugh" along with some other people.

At one stage Mr Sanderson went to check on his meat and when he hadn't returned after 10 minutes Mr Marsden went to check on him. He found his friend lying on his back with his head completely inside the hot oven.

David Lord, a technical co-ordinator with Twin Valley Holmes, which owns the property, said that the kitchen had been refurbished in 2005.

He said that following Mr Sanderson's death the house had been re-let and before that could be done the electrical circuits were checked and found to be in good order.

The medical cause of death was given as electrocution and the coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.