A landscape gardener was in a “blind spot” when he was crushed to death by a forklift truck driven by his friend, an inquest heard.

Russell Meech, 28, from Maitland Drive, in High Wycombe, was walking alongside the truck holding steady a tree that was being moved, when he tripped and fell face down in front of the wheels.

The vehicle was being driven by his good friend and colleague Ben Williams as the pair helped move 11,000 plants and trees at a new multi-million pound house in Potters Bar, in Hertfordshire, in June 2013.

An inquest at Hatfield Coroner’s Court heard Mr Meech was walking on the “blind side” of the driver at the front right of the vehicle at the time of the “unfortunate accident”.

Eyewitness Tim Wheeler told the inquest the labourer was not walking in the best position to be seen by the driver.

He said: “He was on the blind side of the driver, not on the other side where he should have been.

“If it were me I would have wanted to be on the other side.”

The gardener, who had recently moved in with his girlfriend, was crushed by the noisy vehicle as other workers shouted and waved at the driver to stop.

Mr Williams, who had worked with Mr Meech for eight years, said he did not know what was happening but realised his colleague had disappeared from view.

He reversed the vehicle off Mr Meech and jumped out to give him CPR but it was too late.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics soon after they arrived.

Clarifying Mr Wheeler’s recollection of events, senior coroner Edward Thomas said: “Someone shouted ‘oh my goodness’ and you turned around and Russell was on the ground. This all happened very quickly didn’t it?”

“Yes, it was a split second,” Mr Wheeler said: “It was an unfortunate accident and I feel very sorry for Russell’s parents and family.”