An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death yesterday on a soldier who died after being run over by a forklift truck at an ammunition depot in Iraq.

The jury ruled Sgt Mark Stansfield, from Bicester, a member of the Royal Logistic Corps, collided with the JCB vehicle while its driver carried out a reversing manoeuvre at a compound, near Basra.

The jury was told an ambulance crew took up to 20 minutes to reach Sgt Stansfield after initially driving to the wrong area of the base.

But an expert told the hearing the delay did not contribute to the death of the 32-year-old, who passed away two days later from a rare medical complication.

The inquest was also told there were no independent witnesses to the collision and the driver of the forklift, Private Thomas Odamtten, did not see his comrade at all while moving the vehicle.

Pte Odamtten told the court he was trained to operate the truck and that he had checked that its reversing alarm was working on the morning of the tragedy.

Sgt Stansfield, whose widow and nine-month-old son feature on one of this year's Poppy Appeal posters, was flown back to Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital after being injured.

Dr Benjamin Swift, a consultant Home Office pathologist, told the jury, at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, that Sgt Stansfield died from fat embolism syndrome, a condition caused by bone fractures.

"Pelvic fractures can be life-threatening in themselves and significant leg injuries can also be potentially fatal in anyone of any age," the doctor told the court.