A man who fell 15ft down a Second World War bunker to his death could have had an epileptic seizure just before, an inquest heard.

Russell Ruck, of Florence Road, Maidstone, was volunteering with a friend at Battery Point in Capel-le-Ferne.

The 40-year-old, who had a history of epilepsy, was helping to restore a hatch in the ceiling of an underground container.

He was with friend, Trevor Collins, who gave evidence at the hearing. He said they stopped after working for a few hours to replace a winch which was fraying.

He heard a groan and saw Mr Ruck had collapsed and had fallen down the partially open hatch into the bunker.

He died from severe head injuries two days later on July 11.

Mr Ruck’s liver, pancreas and both kidneys were given to four people waiting for transplants.

After his death, his father Barry Ruck, 67, said: "It was something positive out of a negative situation. It makes me feel better about it.

"Just before he died had been the happiest I think I’d ever seen him. He loved life – he wasn’t happy sitting still."

In a narrative conclusion, assistant coroner, Christopher Morris, said, on the balance of probabilities, he suffered an epileptic seizure which caused the fall.