A MAN repairing his car at home was crushed to death in a tragic accident, an inquest was told.

Vincenzo Finella was repairing the brakes underneath his red Citroen BX when the axle stand supporting it gave way and the car rolled on to him.

The retired carpet finisher's wife was out at work when the accident happened at their home in Chester Road North, Kidderminster, on Sunday, August 6.

Worcestershire coroner Victor Round told an inquest at Stourbridge yesterday that a neighbour, who was driving his car to nearby Linden Avenue, had seen Mr Finella standing at the front of the house that morning.

But on his return between 10 to 15 minutes late he discovered Mr Finella trapped beneath the car.

Sixty-one-year old Mr Finella, who was born in Pasqualina, Italy, was pronounced dead by flying doctor Barrie Davies who attended the scene just before noon.

Mr Finella had put the car on an axle stand and had bricks behind the rear wheels because the car was on a sloping drive.

"Mr Davies is an experienced doctor and I am quite satisfied with his view that the cause of Mr Finella's death was asphyxiation due to severe and massive chest compression," Mr Round told the inquest.

"The neighbour and another man did try to lift the car off Mr Finella, but were unable to and all they could do was call the emergency services and wait for them to arrive.

"When Mr Davies got there, Mr Finella was blue in the face and hands and was already dead.

''It appears the process did not take long."

Mr Round recorded a verdict of accidental death and warned members of the public to always take "extreme care" when working underneath vehicles.