Boy, 12, crushed by Clacton garage wall collapse, inquest hears

Scott-Swaley Daniel Stevens died at the scene in the family garage in October

A 12-year-old boy helping his father dismantle a garage was crushed when a wall collapsed, an inquest heard.

Scott-Swaley Stevens died at the scene in St John's Road in Clacton, Essex, in October despite the efforts of the emergency services.

He had been helping his father knock down a "lean-to" when the "wall was said to have fallen back", the coroner's court in Chelmsford was told.

Essex senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, said his death was "a huge tragedy".

The inquest was opened and adjourned for a further hearing in May.

Mr Brookes heard how the emergency services were called to the family home just before 19:00 BST on 21 October, but Scott-Swaley was confirmed dead at the scene.

At the time, police also said a man in his 30s was rescued from the rubble and sustained an arm injury.

A post-mortem examination carried out on 27 October gave the cause of the boy's death as compression asphyxia, the coroner was told.

The inquest heard the collapsed wall was not being treated as suspicious.

Tributes outside the family home where the boy died last October