TICKET salesman David Cordice, who died as a result of a minor fall, was given "inappropriate" treatment at Wycombe Hospital, an inquest heard.

But coroner Richard Hulett recorded a verdict of accidental death after stressing the initiating point of the tragedy was the fall.

David Cordice, 33, from Priory Avenue, High Wycombe, had been out visiting people as part of his work as a Jehovah's Witness on July 20 last year, when he slipped on rubble and injured his leg.

He was taken to Wycombe Hospital where his leg was put in a plaster cast from ankle to groin but the plaster cracked and when Mr Cordice returned to the hospital another bandage was added to the cast.

Mr Cordice went on to suffer a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot which blocked a main artery and he died on August 18.

His father, Westmin Cordice, told the High Wycombe inquest on February 8: "When he returned to the hospital with his plaster busted in the back of his leg, instead of putting a bandage round it and sending him home again why didn't they take the plaster off and look at the damage to the leg again?"

South Bucks NHS Trust consultant pathologist Dr Yoon Chia told the inquest: "The bandage was already taken off by the time I did my examination. I am not in a position to comment."

Buckinghamshire Coroner Richard Hulett asked: "Does it seem likely that would make any difference in the formation of deep vein thrombosis?"

Dr Chia said: "I think it would be inappropriate to comment when I did not see David Cordice at all in life and have not read his notes either."

Mr Hulett said: "I know there have been meetings and discussions [between the family and South Bucks NHS Trust] and I will allude to that in summing up and reaching a verdict.

"The original diagnosis of his leg injury was not actually right. It was wrong. This necessitated going back to the hospital on two or three occasions before it was diagnosed. It was treated in an inappropriate way.

"He took a tumble and as a result of that he went to hospital everything else that followed on, the initiating point was that fall.

"A proper verdict to return is accidental death."

A spokesman for South Bucks NHS Trust said: "South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust extends it sympathy to the family of Mr David Cordice. We have carried out a full and thorough investigation following Mr Cordice's death.

"This included holding a meeting which brought together all the relevant clinicians. The trust has made every effort to answer questions raised by the family and done all it can to address their concerns."