A ‘quiet gentleman’ who suffered a fall in his care home near Aylesbury on Christmas Day died from the resulting injuries, an inquest has found.

On Wednesday, May 19, an inquest into the death of Leslie Barton, who died aged 88 on January 3, took place.

Originally from Liverpool, Mr Barton was a retired RAF air traffic controller.

Beaconsfield Coroners Court heard how on Christmas Day, Mr Barton fell at Freemantle Court, in Stoke Mandeville, and was found by one of his carers at around 12pm.

Mr Barton, who was described as “very frail” by staff and who also suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s, sustained a fractured hip and was taken by ambulance to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

On Boxing Day, femoroplasty surgery was undertaken to repair the damage, but eight days later Mr Barton passed away in hospital.

In a report from the care home, the court heard how Mr Barton was a “quiet gentleman” who liked to spend time alone in his room and also enjoyed talking with his carers.

He was last seen before his fall at about 11am on Christmas Day, when a carer gave him a breakfast of cornflakes and coffee while he was watching television.

He did have a walking frame, but preferred to walk around using his stick.

Coroner Crispin Butler concluded that Mr Barton had died from a combination of frailty of his old age, the hip fracture and the following procedure.

He said: “He died from frailty related to his age, to which recent traumatic injury and a necessary medical procedure contributed more than minimally.

“It’s neither natural causes nor accidental, but a combination of the two.”