A PENSIONER who nipped out to celebrate his birthday died after falling in an alley on his way home, an inquest heard.

James Crusham, 72, of Cliffe Street, Colne, left his wife, Winefride, at their home on September 11 last year to go to a nearby club.

Mrs Crusham told the inquest she heard her neighbour knock at the back door 7.15pm on her husband's birthday.

She was told Mr Crusham was lying in the back alley and he appeared to have collapsed. She went out to see her husband who rarely used the back alley to come home.

The inquest heard he was unconscious, had swelling and abrasions on the left hand side of his head, was bleeding from his nose and was breathing with difficulty. Mr Crusham was taken by ambulance to Burnley General hospital where he later died on September 29.

Mrs Crusham told the inquest she had since found out her husband caught a taxi home from the club, a 15-minute walk from their home. She added that her husband had stayed out longer than usual because of his birthday, but that she could not smell alcohol on his breath.

A post mortem, carried out by Dr Twaij, a consultant pathologist at Burnley General Hospital, revealed Mr Crusham had evidence of bronchial pneumonia in his left lung. He was also found to have a small area of haemorrhaging on the right side of his brain.

Recording a verdict of of accidental death acting East Lancashire coroner, Richard Taylor said: "Mr Crusham had gone out to enjoy a birthday drink, he took a taxi home and came up the back street.

"For some reason he tripped and fell. On that basis I have little alternative but to return a verdict of accidental death."