THE partner of a man crushed to death by a lorry told an inquest he was her "soulmate".

Father-of-three Danny Adams was crushed to death by a reversing lorry on May 7 2014.

The court heard how 63-year-old, who owned D Adams Haulage Contractors, was hit by lorry driver Steven Wailey who was reversing into a parking space at an industrial yard in Lumns Lane, Swinton.

Mr Wailey was at the time working for Alec Sharples Farm Supplies and Transport Limited and Mr Adams rented a part of their yard to keep two of his vehicles.

Before he was struck by Mr Wailey's vehicle, Mr Adams had reversed his own vehicle into the space he rented and was in the process of detaching his trailer.

Mr Adams, who was also a grandfather, was crushed between the back wheel of his own vehicle and the rear of Mr Wailey's vehicle.

At an inquest into his death at Bolton Coroners Court his partner Angela Adams said he was a "larger than life character".

She added: "He was loved by many especially by me.

"We were two sides of the same coin. We were soulmates."

Mrs Adams said that on the day of the incident, the owner of the yard Alec Sharples rang her to say that Mr Adams had fallen and bruised his ribs.

Then, on her way to the yard she Mr Sharples called again to say Mr Adams had been taken to Salford Royal Hospital.

When she spoke to her partner in hospital she told the inquest: "I saw the wheels coming back at me and I thought my time was up.

"He backed into me and squashed me. He shunted forward I dropped to the floor."

PC Lee Gregory was called to the scene and spoke to driver Steven Wailey who he said "was very upset".

Mr Gregory told the court Mr Wailey said he did not see Mr Adams when he was reversing but pulled forward when he saw him in his mirrors.

Mr Adams died in hospital from a cardiac arrest after multiple organ failure two days after the accident.

He had sustained a fractures to his ribs and pelvis, a liver laceration and a ruptured bladder.

The inquest continues.