Staffordshire man dies after falling asleep holding cigar

Roy Lawton, 85, from Chapel Lane in Gentleshaw near Rugeley, dozed off after making himself an early morning coffee and lighting a cigar on July 23 this year.

His Marks & Spencer dressing gown, made from 100 per cent cotton, caught fire and he awoke to try and put the flames out.

He managed to call his daughter-in-law Lynne to help and he put the fire out, but the burns he suffered to his face, shoulder and arms were soon found to be life-threatening.

Mr Lawton, a retired construction company director and father-of-two, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on August 31.

Coroner's officer Andrew Heathcote said: "Mr Lawton lived on his own. His son and daughter-in-law were neighbours.

"He had been on the phone to a friend at 6.15am. After they had finished speaking he went and made himself a coffee.

"He used to like a big cigar with his coffee. He went and sat in his chair.

"At 6.52am, he phoned his daughter-in-law and asked her to go to his house because he needed to see her.

"When she got there she saw the remains of burned clothing that had been covered in water.

"Mr Lawton told her he had been in the lounge when his dressing gown caught fire.

"An ambulance was called and Mrs Lawton was to follow on behind in the car to the hospital a short while later. But she was then told that his injuries were life threatening.

"He was taken to the burns unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where skin graft operations were performed."

Ian Broadhead, station manager for Codsall, Kinver and Wombourne fire stations said that a fire investigation was not carried out until August 14 because West Midlands Ambulance Service didn't notify the service.

The fire service only became aware by chance when a member of staff visiting relatives in Gentleshaw who was asked about what happened later checked the incident log.

Mr Broadhead said: "By the time we attended there was very little in the way of evidence as the area had been cleared up."

He added: "There are concerns about the dressing gown Mr Lawton was wearing."

Senior Coroner for Staffordshire Andrew Haigh will write to Marks & Spencer to express concerns about the material of the gown.

He said: "Although he wasn't in the best health physically, his mental health was good.

"This was a really tragic accident. The cause of his death was recorded as pneumonia which was brought on by the burns he received."

He delivered a conclusion of accidental death.