Maldon's champion of disabled rights, Scott Thomas, died from head injuries after falling from his wheelchair at West Maldon Community Centre, an inquest heard last week.

Coroner's officer Mr Stephen Parfrey told the Chelmsford inquest that although there were ramps to his left and right, 27-year-old Scott's battery powered chair toppled over a step directly in front of him.

Scott was leaving the annual general meeting of the Maldon District Access Group on October 29, 1998 and suffered cerebral damage due to a skull fracture.

Scott's mother, May, said Scott might not have seen the step because he sat back at an angle in his wheelchair as he could not sit up on his own.

"This was a terrible accident and I blame nobody, but this is a fairly new hall and why could they not put a ramp in the front? Why are the disabled treated as second rate citizens?" she said.

Mrs Thomas added Scott would have been on a high after a good meeting and might have gone off the edge without thinking, and emphasised a friend of Scott's was even unable to attend the inquest owing to restrictions on access.

Scott was an ardent campaigner for various causes including SWANS disabled adults club, Maldon District Disabled Person's Club and Maldon District Access Group of which he had just relinquished the post of chairman.

His father, Barry, referred to Scott's efforts to improve access for disabled people and added: "He has given up his life on that basis."

Mr Parfrey emphasised that the Mobile Devices Agency in Blackpool had carried out a thorough examination of Scott's wheelchair and found no stability faults, while West Maldon Community Centre complied with controls regarding health and safety.

Coroner Malcolm Weir recorded a verdict of accidental death and pledged to write a letter to the local authority to try to prevent a similar occurrence.

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