A 91-year-old man suffered fatal brain injuries when his golf buggy rolled into a bunker and trapped him, an inquest heard today.

Ralph Woodward, of Gidley Way, Horspath, Oxford, died at Southfield Golf Club on April 19 after playing the game he loved with his friend and golf partner Neil Kitching.

An inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner's Court was told Mr Woodward, who was described as fit and healthy for his age, had driven the buggy near the bunker on the fourth hole to help his friend play a shot.

Mr Kitching, who has a prosthetic leg, said: "Ralph always drove the buggy because of my prosthetic limb.

"He would always try to get me as close to my ball as possible."

Mr Kitching said he got out of the buggy to play his shot and then got back into the vehicle, which was near the edge of the bunker, on uneven ground, the inquest heard.

Mr Kitching said: "Ralph seemed to put his foot on the accelerator more firmly than I expected. In no time at all, we rolled into the bunker.

"Ralph was trapped between the frame of the roof and the bottom of the bunker.

"It was a quiet day on the golf course so there were few people around. It felt like a long time before someone came to help."

The alarm was raised by Jane Duke, who was at an aerobics class at the gym overlooking the golf course in Hill Top Road. Seeing a buggy on its side, she asked the gym's receptionist to alert the golf club.

Club member Joseph Pepperell was one of the first to arrive at the bunker.

He said: "I saw two men in the bunker and one had his neck trapped under the top of the buggy. Two greenkeepers arrived on the scene and between us we managed to lift the buggy."

Firefighters and paramedics had difficulties reaching the club because of the way cars were parked on nearby roads, so the first crews from the emergency services arrived in golf buggies driven by greenkeepers.

Firefighters later removed fence panels on the golf course to gain access.

Mr Woodward was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Mr Kitching suffered several broken ribs.

Dr Nicholas Hunt, a forensic pathologist, told the inquest Mr Woodward's death was caused by his brain being starved of blood and oxygen.

Jurors returned a verdict of accidental death.

Lesley Burgess, a senior environmental health officer at Oxford City Council, worked on the investigation into Mr Woodward's death with Thames Valley Police.

She said: "There were no breaches of health and safety rules found during the course of our investigation."

Members paid tribute to Mr Woodward, saying he was "an absolute gentleman".

The retired accountant, who was born in Chipping Norton, had been an active member of the club for 42 years and was a former president.