The mother of a 21-year-old tyre fitter killed when one exploded in his face has reacted angrily to an inquest verdict which concluded his death was an accident.

Carolyn Hoare from Chartham near Canterbury was speaking after the hearing during which failures in the training of Matthew Hoare and equipment were revealed.

She has now vowed to fight on for justice for her son, who would have been 29 today - the day of the verdict.

Describing him as a "lovely and amazing person", she said: "I will never forgive those responsible for his loss. The fight does not end here and we are considering an appeal. I am now going to his grave to lay some flowers and light him a birthday cake."

Matthew, from Shalmsford Street, Chartham, died on January 27, 2006, while repairing a puncture in a five foot loader/shovel tyre at the former Hammill Brickworks near Sandwich.

He was inflating the tyre without a pressure gauge when it exploded and he died instantly from multiple injuries.

The family's solicitor Nick Fairweather said: "We are pleased the jury recognised the role that a lack of experience played in Matthew's accident and death.

"The family are bitterly disappointed, however, that the jury were denied the opportunity of ruling that this was an unlawful killing."

Prior to her summing up the evidence, the coroner Rebecca Cobb advised legal representatives from Watling Tyres and the Hoare family that corporate manslaughter or unlawful killing were not appropriate options to put to the jury as possible verdicts.

She said: "The company's director with responsibility for health and safety had delegated it to branch managers and, although there was a breach of duty of care by not implementing training, I am less certain it caused Matthew's death.

"There is no direct evidence that Matthew had read safety documents but there is no evidence that he had not or that the nature of the risks had not been pointed out to him during his on-the-job training.

"i will never forgive those responsible for his loss. the fight does not end here and we are considering an appeal" – carolyn hoare

"There is no evidence that the person identified as having a duty of care for Matthew should have foreseen him using the inflation method indicated or that he could have foreseen that Matthew would not report back that he did not have the equipment he needed.

"I do not consider the evidence indicates gross negligence or manslaughter.

"For those reasons and case history, I shall not be leaning unlawful killing to the jury. I do not underestimate the disappointment it will cause to Matthew's family."

During the five-day inquest, the jury heard that Matthew, who had worked for Watling Tyres in Canterbury for just six months, had no record of formal training as required and was using a works van with a tyre compressor which had a broken gauge.

Both Watling Tyres director Andrew Wright and branch manager Des Smith declined to answer questions during the inquest about the incident and their roles and responsibilities.

But the jury heard that, following the tragedy, a Health and Safety Executive investigation found failings in training and equipment and issued the company with an improvement notice.

Carolyn Hoare with a picture of her son Matthew

Finding Matthew's death was an accident, the jury also recorded that a combination of factors had contributed to the incident including "a lack of experience, training along with the failure to use appropriate equipment."

After the hearing, principal inspector Mike Walters said the HSE had been waiting the result of the inquest and the investigation would now continue.

Solicitor for Watling Tyres Andrew Roach said: "The thoughts of the company are today with the family and friends of Matthew. He was a popular, hardworking employee who is still missed, some seven years later, by his friends and colleagues at the company.

"The company has throughout this long investigation co-operated fully and at all times with both the police and the HSE and will continue to do so."

The incident has been investigated by police, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution.