TELEVISION wildlife expert Johnny Kingdom was crushed to death by his 3.5-ton digger as he had been clearing tree trunks, it emerged at his inquest yesterday (Tuesday June 25).

The 79-year-old was well known for his wildlife films and photography on his native Exmoor.

The inquest at Exeter’s County Hall heard that a sizeable log was attached to a chain and to the digger and it may have been that this led to the digger tipping over.

Assistant Devon coroner Luisa Nicholson heard evidence from police which concluded that Johnny was responsible for his own death on land at Knowstone, North Devon.

The police said: “The cause of death was operator error of the digger.”

Officers said he had been trying to move a 1.25 tonne section of tree trunk when the digger toppled over, trapping him underneath.

The inquest heard that Johnny’s wife raised the alarm around 8pm on September 6 last year because her husband had not returned home.

Julie Kingdom and their son Stuart went to a 22-acre area of woodland they owned and found Johnny face-down under the orange digger.

Dr Debbie Cook, Home Office pathologist, said he died from crush asphyxia after the digger had trapped him by the torso.

The hearing was told Johnny was fit and well but had been suffering from blurred vision and may have suffered a mini stroke – but, ironically, after his death Johnny was given the all clear, said Stuart.

The coroner described him as ’Mr Exmoor’ and told his widow, who attended the hearing, that she had met him several times: “He was very charming and very knowledgeable.

“He was loved by many people, including me. I’ve never met anybody like him.”

She recorded an accidental death conclusion. A full report on the inquest will be in Friday’s Free Press (June 28).