AN 83-year-old cyclist died after being thrown off his bike as he travelled along a pot-holed road.

Just a month earlier a resident had reported a pothole on the same stretch of road to Bury Council.

Roger Hamer went over the handlebars of his bicycle on Bury New Road, Ramsbottom, while on a shopping errand on March 5 last year.

An inquest into his death was resumed today where Helen Wesolowski, who lives on Bury New Road, gave evidence to the court in a video link.

She confirmed a pothole identified by police officers on the day of the incident was the pothole she had reported earlier in the year. 

The assistant coroner, Peter Sigee, read out a statement made by Ms Wesolowski to the police at the time.

He said: “Later that day a council worker came and has filled the pothole and at some stage after that a full repair was undertaken.”

Eyewitness Susan Simpson, who also lives on Bury New Road, told the court how she saw Mr Hamer fly over his handlebars.

She said: “I looked up and saw him coming down on his bike, quite fast from what I remember.

“I heard a noise. It was like metal rattling and tyres skidding. I looked up and saw him coming over the handlebars. 

“He flew over the handlebars and landed on his forehead and slid a yard.”

Mrs Simpson, a nurse, described how she gave Mr Hamer assistance, checking his pulse, seeing he was breathing and keeping his airways clear.

Mr Hamer suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fall from his bicycle, as well as multiple fractures including to his skull and pelvis. 
He was treated in Salford Royal Foundation Trust Hospital, where the decision was eventually made to place him under palliative care, he died on April 2 last year. 

Ruth Topping, Mr Hamer’s daughter, gave evidence at the inquest and described her father as “a very caring man”.

She described how he would bake and cook for family and friends. She also said her father would ride his bike for miles, even cycling to Garstang to visit family.

The morning he came off his bike, Mr Hamer was going shopping for the family to buy some extra bits for a family meal. 

Mrs Topping said: “On Saturday he wanted to add some chocolates and wine for the meal.”

Mr Hamer had been helping his daughter out, cooking, as her husband David had had a stroke recently. 

Due to the fact that, at the time of his death, Mr Hamer was unable to make decisions for himself and was the subject of a deprivation of liberty safeguarding order, a jury had to be sworn in at the court.

The inquest continues.