A retired taxi driver died after falling 8ft from a ladder while carrying out a DIY project, a court has heard.

Richard Crooks, of Norwich, died on October 20 last year, the day after suffering a fall from a ladder at his home in the NR3 area of the city.

An inquest into his death held this week heard that Mr Crooks suffered a catastrophic bleed on his brain after falling while attaching a CCTV camera to the shed of his Sleaford Green home.

His wife, Julie Crooks, told the court she found the 68-year-old on the ground having seen their water butt had fallen and gone to check on him.

Mrs Crooks phoned for an ambulance and was initially told it may take five hours to respond - but after calling back to say he had become unresponsive, paramedics arrived within moments.

He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital but died of his injuries the following day.

Meanwhile, the court heard in August he had suffered a heart attack which had to be operated on - and was on the waiting list for further treatment at the time of his accident.

In a statement read to the court, his daughter Emma Hood said: "He was always active around the house and as a keen DIYer he would always do things himself without asking for help.

"He was a very proud man, stubborn and would never let us children know if he wasn't well.

"He received the best level of care at the hospital after the accident and I can not fault the staff on the ward at all."

Johanna Thompson, assistant coroner for Norfolk, concluded that Mr Crooks' death was an accident.

She said it could not be determined how he came about the fall, with his medical cause of death given as an intracranial haemorrhage.