A WINDOW cleaner died when he accidentally fell while doing his job, an inquest jury has ruled.

Daniel Lobb, aged 43, of Everest Road, Hag Fold, Atherton, died while cleaning a first floor window at a house in Eccles on January 23, Bolton Coroner’s Court heard.

Sarah Taylor, HM Inspector of Health and Safety, told an inquest jury that Mr Lobb may have been stood on the ledge or flat roof rather than the ladder when he fell.

Mrs Taylor said: “The window cleaner often wants to be as quick as possible and clean as many windows as possible.

“The difficulty is engaging self-employed people and getting them to have health and safety training.”

Bolton coroner, Jennifer Leeming, added: “When you do something every day, I am not sure you appreciate the magnitude of the risk you take.”

Mr Lobb fell approximately 20 feet from a terraced house in Broadman Street, Eccles, between 11.40am and noon.

The owners of the property dialled 999 when Mr Lobb was discovered lying at the bottom of the ladder in the front garden.

Mr Lobb died at Salford Royal Hospital at 9.17pm that day.

The ladder was still standing when the window cleaner was found on the concrete slabs beneath the window and one of the paving stones was broken.

Mrs Taylor said: “What it seems, based on what we know, is that he stepped onto the ledge or even the window sill which might have been slippy, or the roof.

“It is most likely that he slipped down which is why he was found face down rather than if he fell backwards.”

Pauline Gibbons, owner of the property where he fell, said Mr Lobb “had the shakes” on the morning of his death.

Pathologist Dr Desai told the court Mr Lobb had died of multiple injuries, including a ruptured spleen and damaged kidney.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.