40-stone man died after he fell from chair

Firefighters were forced to hoist 'grossly obese' Samuel Cann, aged 35, when he slipped from his seat and was unable to lift himself back up.

Paramedics discovered house-bound Mr Cann from Stone, who spent 24 hours a day in the chair, had developed pressure sores and ulcers which required medical treatment.

A team of firefighters carried Mr Cann from his home into a waiting ambulance and he was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stone.

But Mr Cann, who also suffered from tissue-swelling condition lymphoedema, refused emergency treatment and died six days later.

An inquest held in Stoke on Tuesday heard how he lived in the chair he had fallen out of on February 14 this year.

The former factory worker, whose weight ballooned due to his diet of fatty foods, had even refused stomach surgery to help him lose weight. His size meant he had been forced to quit his job at the age of 28 because his frame made it impossible for him to walk and dress himself.

Widow Jody, 34, told the court her late husband was a stubborn man who had refused medical help for his weight problem.

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes aggravated by self-neglect, assistant Staffordshire Coroner Margaret Jones, said Mr Cann's obesity led to his death.

She said: "From quite a young man, Mr Cann had many problems with his weight and his obesity and it is that obesity that led from one thing to another."

The cause of death was recorded as 'sepsis due to infected ulcers and sores and obesity'.