A fit and healthy forklift truck driver tragically died from a blood clot after breaking his ankle at work.

Gerald Brooks, 57, was recovering from a building site accident when he suddenly took a turn for the worse, an inquest heard on Monday.

At home with his wife Maureen in Radstock, Somerset, he complained of a pain in his injured leg, breathing problems and a "lump in his chest".

His condition suddenly turned critical at Bath's Royal United Hospital (RUH) and despite the efforts of medical staff he died on July 25, 2006.

An inquest into his death at Kings Weston House, Bristol, heard yesterday how Mr Brooks had been working for George Wimpey Bristol Ltd on a housing development at Kingscourt Meadow, Gillingham, Dorset, on June 14.

The experienced workman had been clearing waste from the site and was going to dump it on a 'spoil heap'.

In his accident statement he said he had beeped his horn as he pulled up at the pile because a digger driver working for contractor CJL was moving rubble.

Mr Brooks received no response from JCB driver John Paget, who told the inquest Mr Brooks had not beeped his horn. Mr Brooks then got out of his forklift to release the lever on the skip, but lost his footing and fell over.

As he got back up, he saw the JCB reversing towards him and it ran over one of his feet, breaking his ankle.

Mr Paget told the inquest he was not aware Mr Brooks had entered the fenced off area where JCL had been laying the foundations for the remaining houses to be built.

He explained that as he picked up the penultimate bucket of waste, he reversed "no more than 2ft", and as he looked over his right shoulder he noticed the skip and Mr Brooks waving.

He moved the digger forward and got out to find Mr Brooks had been injured.

Mr Brooks' widow Maureen said her husband was initially taken to Yeovil Hospital, but then transferred to the RUH where his foot was put in plaster. On July 7, while recovering at home, he complained of a pain in his right leg and the couple assumed it was a pulled muscle.

But his condition deteriorated on July 24, when he started to suffer hot and cold spells, had trouble breathing and said he felt a lump in his chest.

A doctor visited him on July 25 and Mr Brooks was admitted to hospital. In hospital, Mrs Brooks said in a statement, he complained of feeling dizzy and "suddenly went to pieces" and appeared to be having a fit.

The pathologist's report is due to be read at the inquest but Mrs Brooks said she was told her husband had died from deep vein thrombosis. Paying tribute to her husband, she said: "He was a fit, active, healthy, lovely man."

CJL's health and safety accident report attributed "no portion of blame" to Mr Paget in the accident.

Employees told the hearing they did not know Mr Brooks would be operating in the area where they were working.

But Peter Donnachie, production manager for Wimpey, said it was common practice for one of their forklift operators to help out contractors by keeping the site tidy.

CJL supervisor Alan Caple said he had complained on several occasions that there was not enough space on the site for the groundworks to be comfortably carried out, describing it as "cluttered".

But the health and safety advisor for Wimpey, Alan Tanner, said he did not believe this was a factor in the accident.

The inquest continues.