THE vicar of Ainsworth, Father Alan Thomas Flaherty, who fell and banged his head in his bathroom, died from natural causes.

The verdict was recorded by Bury District Coroner Mr Barrie Williams after hearing how the 56-year-old father-of-two was found collapsed behind the bathroom door on January 21 this year. He died in hospital seven days later.

The former lathe turner and shop steward had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus with secondary symptoms in the liver, in May last year. He was unsteady on his feet and needed the aid of a walking stick.

Father Flaherty told his wife Venetia and his family that he seemed to have collapsed under his own weight.

His son Mr Sean Alan Flaherty, from Worsley, said his father was a shop steward in Leigh for 20 years but he gave up the post to enter the ministry studying at Luther King House in Rusholme.

After being ordained in 1988, he was appointed curate at Atherton and then vicar of Ainsworth Parish Church in 1992.

He was the eighth incumbent in the 127-year history of the parish and he had adopted the title Father Flaherty after meeting Archbishop Tutu, who enjoyed his company and referred to him as "Father", a reference which had given him much pleasure, the hearing was told.

Father Flaherty had enjoyed good health until he was diagnosed with cancer in May last year. It left him fairly immobile and needing to walk with a stick.

His wife had escorted him to the bathroom but was called away by a telephone call. When she returned, she found him lying behind the bathroom door. He had fallen, but was conscious although he had marks on his head, and was taken to Fairfield Hospital.

He was later transferred to Hope Hospital for neurological surgery but he died on January 28.

Coroner's officer Mr Geoff Cave confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. A post mortem revealed extensive bleeding into the brain, and although surgery had been carried out to relieve the situation, Father Flaherty developed a chest infection and his condition deteriorated.

The pathologist concluded death was due to brain haemorrhage as a result of severe injury to the head, and added a second contributory factor was carcinoma of the oesophagus.

Mr Williams said that, although it might appear like a case of accidental death, it was clear Father Flaherty's health had deteriorated as a result of the cancer, and when he fell, he himself said he had fallen under his own weight due to his weak condition.

Although there were severe head injuries sustained in the fall, the coroner pointed out that Father Flaherty had not tripped or stumbled, and the post mortem report referred to the underlying pre-existing disease. Mr Williams said he believed the tumour was so serious and significant that it caused the fall. Father Flaherty, whose daughter is also an ordained minister, was buried next to the church wall at Ainsworth.