A novice tyre fitter who died when one exploded in his face had complained about a lack of training and faulty equipment just weeks before, an inquest jury has been told.

Matthew Hoare, 21, from Chartham, had only been working for Watling Tyres in Canterbury for six months when he was killed in the tragedy seven years ago.

He was repairing a puncture in a 5ft tyre of a loader vehicle at a brickworks near Sandwich when it ruptured while being inflated.

The blast blew Mr Hoare, pictured right, 15ft across a workshop and he was killed instantly.

His still-grieving mother Carolyn Hoare, 53, of Shalmsford Street, told the inquest at Sandwich: "Matthew often told me about the state of his equipment and, in particular, a faulty pressure gauge which he reported to his manager.

"One morning while getting ready for work, he said he had asked his manager for training but was told there wasn't any for commercial tyres, even though he was out and about in a van doing it.

"He was told if he didn't want the job, there were other people who did. But he enjoyed it. Matthew was a very hard-working and loyal person."

Coroner Rebecca Cobb heard a subsquent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed failures in training and equipment.

HSE principal inspector Mike Walters said tyre-fitting equipment in the van was immediately taken for examination following the tragedy on January 27, 2006, and early the following morning the Watling Tyres depot in Sturry Road was visited and paperwork seized.

"it's fair to say i was not happy with the training regime within the company..." – hse inspector mike walters

Descrbing the van, Mr Walters said: "It was a mess inside - not very well-organised. There were booklets with tyre pressure charts for vehicles but nothing relating to a digger-type vehicle.

"The compressor had only half a gauge - the glass was broken and the needle missing. There was no other gauge outside the vehicle meaning Matthew would have had no way of knowing what air pressure was going into the tyre."

Mr Walters and police also went to the Watling Tyres depot. He told the coroner: "There were health and safety regulations on display, booklets about health and safety and blank personal training record forms, but I could find nothing to indicate Mr Hoare's had received any training.

"It's fair to say I was not happy with the training regime within the company and issued an improvement notice to ensure all current staff and new people were competent to do what was asked of them. In general terms, they needed to sort out the shortcomings in their training system."

Tragic Matthew Hoare, sister Jenna and brother Daniel

Both the Watling Tyres director with responsibility for health and safety and the Canterbury branch manager refused to answer crucial questions at the inquest, on the advice of their barrister.

They had previously been advised by the coroner they were not obliged to respond to questions that might incriminate them.

But the jury did hear a statement made by director Andrew Wright to police and health and safety officers soon after Mr Hoare's death.

In it he said that training for new recruits was the responsibility of depot branch managers, who had been told what was required of them.

Mr Wright said: "I ensured all branch managers were familiar with our Health and Safety requirements and they had been reminded to complete training records. I understand a training record was not completed by the branch manager Des Smith.

"Matthew was a quick learner and after three months had experience in car, commercial and agricultural work and it was decided he could go solo.

"For some reason, he decided to inflate the tyre directly from the compressor when he should have attached it to a hand held line. If he didn't have the correct size adaptor, he should have returned to pick one up or called for assistance."

He said he would have expected someone with Mr Hoare's experience and knowledge to take the necessary precautions.

He added: "I could not have taken any further steps to prevent the incident."

Branch manager Des Smith (pictured above right) was also pressed by family solicitor Nick Fairweather about his role, but refused to say if he sent Mr Hoare out on the job to Hammill brickworks or what training he had given the fitter.

He also declined to say whether or not the usual fitter for the job had been off sick.

Carolyn Hoare with a picture of her son Matthew

Mr Fairweather said: "Matthew wasn't trained to work on an earth mover-type vehicle, was he, and when you sent him out on the job you did so with no proper understanding of the dangers.

"I suggest there should have been an in-line gauge further down."

Mr Smith did not respond.

The inquest continues and the jury is expect to be sent out to deliberate on Monday - the day Mr Hoare would have celebrated his 29th birthday.