A FORMER mayor of Redditch was delivering raffle tickets and a bottle of wine to a coffee morning when he suffered a heart attack and died, an inquest heard.

Robert John Smith, 71, of Old Vicarage Gardens in Studley, was driving towards Evesham on the Stratford side of the Oversley Green island on the A46 near Alcester, on Monday, March 24, when he had a heart attack, causing him to veer into oncoming traffic.

Mr Smith, who was driving a Metro, hit a silver BMW before coming to a stop next to a fence.

The driver of the BMW was not seriously hurt.

Warwickshire coroner Michael Coker said: "It's quite apparent from the investigations that his death was not caused by the accident but that the accident was caused by his death.

"And there is no doubt in the mind of the consultant pathologist's mind that he died as a result of coronary heart disease."

The inquest heard Mr Smith suffered a heart attack in 1988. In 1991,he had a quadruple heart by-pass and heart valve replacement.

Mr Smith was the Mayor of Redditch in 1982 and served as a councillor on three wards, including Crabbs Cross, Central and West, and was married with three children and four grandchildren.

Mr Coker recorded a verdict of natural causes at the inquest at Leamington Spa Town Hall last Wednesday.