A popular workman described by loved ones as “the greatest partner and father” died after falling down a manhole in a tragic accident, an inquest has concluded.

Grounds worker David Archer, from Deal, fell into the opening after glancing at and being distracted by a passing road-sweeping vehicle while working on a sewerage extension at a new housing estate in Ramsgate.

A jury gave a conclusion of accidental death yesterday, but the inquest heard the dad-of-two’s training had lapsed, so he should not have been working at the site, and his employers did not have an appropriate permit to work there.

Speaking after the hearing, his heartbroken family said the finding “does not tell the full story” and they feel Mr Archer’s death could have been avoided.

His devastated partner, Rachel, also told how she and their two young children still “sleep together with his clothes under our pillows”.

The inquest heard how Mr Archer and a colleague had been working for two days at a building site in New Haine Road, Ramsgate. This included Mr Archer going down a manhole using a ladder while wearing a safety harness.

They were in the last stages of putting the cover back on at about 10.30pm on November 14 when supervisor Andrew Thackray saw the 36-year-old fall in - and he immediately raised the alarm.

Firefighters pulled Mr Archer out but paramedics could not save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Thackray told the inquest he had been picking up a dropped manhole key at the time and added: “Just as I looked he fell. It all happened very quickly.”

Mr Archer had by then needed to take off his safety harness to carry out the final task of his shift.

The hearing at Oakwood House in Maidstone was told that police, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Mr Archer’s employers’ health and safety team all concluded he had fallen after being distracted by the road sweeper.

The HSE’s Joanne Williams told the inquest the HSE specialist inspector that helped her enquiries had said that this was not something he was aware of happening in his 30-plus years working in the water industry. She was aware that it had sent shock waves throughout the industry.

Police confirmed there had been no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, with their investigation concluding it had been an accident.

A post-mortem examination confirmed Mr Archer had died from injuries sustained in the fall.

The inquest heard his training for the work had lapsed the previous February, and had that been known he would not have been allowed to carry out the work.

Sam Shine, health and safety director for Mr Archer’s employer, Kingsheath Construction Ltd, accepted that the training rota should have been checked.

But the HSE also said his employers did not have the appropriate permit to work on the site.

Ms Williams additionally commented: “The lighting was likely to be suitable for what they were doing, but could always have been better”.

Sarah Clarke, area coroner for North East Kent, said: “I believe this was a really tragic accident. I don’t think David did anything wrong. He did his job properly.”

After the inquest, Kingsheath bosses said in a statement that everyone at the company remains “deeply shocked and saddened” by the tragedy, and that they had cooperated fully with the HSE and coroner’s investigations.

“David was a highly valued colleague and friend to many throughout the company, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with David’s family and friends,” they added.

“Whilst we recognise that the inquest concluded that David’s death was a tragic accident, as part of our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of our employees and those working for us, we have taken the opportunity to reflect upon our policies and procedures to consider where we can improve standards of health and safety yet further.”

After the hearing, Mr Archer’s partner Rachel and the wider family said in a statement: “We understand the inquest process does not apportion blame, but the finding - accidental death - does not tell the full story.

“We feel that other factors contributed to us losing Dave that night, and this accident could have been avoided if processes and health and safety protocols were abided by all within Kingsheath Construction Limited.

“I would like to thank my family, my friends but also the community of Deal and surrounding areas for their support these last months since losing the greatest person in mine and our children's lives.

“I would also like to thank my solicitor, Samuel David, for supporting me through the whole process and making it feel very personal.”

Mr Archer’s son, Jack, and daughter, Poppy, were aged nine and five when he died.

The inquest had heard in a statement from Rachel how the couple had met in 2004 as teenagers and were due to be married.

The statement continued: “Family was everything to Dave. I will always remember the best day of my life being the day that Dave and I found out I was pregnant with Jack. Then three years later we had our daughter Poppy. Life was complete and we could not have been happier.

“Dave was bubbly, happy, and the most wonderful partner and dad I could have ever wished for. He loved life, loved me, loved our children, loved sports and his football. He was passionate about everything he did.

“From the day we met I was utterly in love with him. From the start of our relationship, there was no looking back, just looking forward together. It was true - when you meet someone, you are meant to be together, you simply just know.

“But still our relationship and love for each other only grew stronger and stronger.”

Rachel told how Mr Archer was a “grafter” and enjoyed being the provider for his family.

“We had our goals, and we were achieving them. We had our own home and our wonderful children. We only had more happy memories to look forward to. We loved every moment of life together.

“Seeing Dave transition into a dad was incredible. He automatically fell in love with the role.

“Dave was a hands-on father, always present and being there for us. He did so much for us every day.”

The inquest heard that when not working, Mr Archer was busy doing DIY jobs, tending vegetables in his allotment or building something for his children.

“He adored us all and we all adored him. We could not have wished for a more loving and caring partner and father.

“Dave was an entertainer - he was a people pleaser. Because of this we had an incredibly close and active circle of friends and social life.

“I cannot put into words the impact of losing Dave. I still cannot believe it. His clothes are still in the wardrobe, the children and I sleep together with his clothes under our pillows. Each aspect of life is a trigger - at each step of life I see Dave.

“Home is a shell. Everything there is a reminder of him. All of our lives have now been turned upside down, and they will never be the same for any of us.

“We all continue to support each other and come united as one big family. Losing Dave has had a massive impact on all of our lives. We continue to take each day as it comes and support each other, through this new life we now have to lead.

“We lost the greatest partner and father.”

A fundraiser set up for the family in the wake of the tragedy had an original target of £5,000 but has since raised a staggering £38,000.

Mr Archer’s friends previously told KentOnline he had “the biggest heart of gold”.

One of his pals, Kaine Orchard, said: “There aren’t even words to express the size of the hole that has been left.

“He is one of those blokes that you can genuinely say was one in a million.

“You hear that all the time but he was absolutely irreplaceable.”

After the hearing the HSE explained to KentOnline that the work at the time of the tragedy did not need any specialist training nor a permit. The work before it required a permit to work in confined spaces and specialist training.

The HSE issued the company with enforcement action but these notices (Improvement Notice and Notification of Contravention letter) addressed issues that did not cause the incident.

A HSE spokesperson told KentOnline: “We have now concluded our investigation into this tragic incident and after careful consideration, have decided no further action will be taken at this time. The company was served with an enforcement notice during our investigation and we will continue to work with the firm to ensure continued safety compliance. We fully supported the coroner throughout their proceedings.”