A van driver who knocked down and killed a seven-year-old boy would have only had a split-second to react before the collision, an inquest has heard.

William Brown died on the A259 Sandgate Esplanade near Folkestone after a grey Peugeot van struck and propelled him into the path of another car on December 6 last year.

The Peugeot driver, Stewart Powell, fled the scene following the accident but was arrested 24 hours later after handing himself in to police.

He was spared jail when he appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court in July.

Today, an inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone heard how William had been playing football with two other children in his front garden that evening.

The coroner’s court heard that prior to the fatal collision, the youngster had climbed out of the garden and retrieved his ball at least once before, causing cars to break as he crossed the road.

But on one occasion, between 5pm and 5.30pm, as he went to cross back and return home, he stepped into the carriageway from between parked cars and was hit.

Coroner Katrina Hepburn heard evidence from Police Sergeant Mark Myers, from the forensic collision investigation unit at Kent Police, who was called to the scene.

He said: "It is likely while William was between the parked vehicles he would have been masked from the driver.

"William only would have been visible to the van driver for one second if he was walking. If he was running, that time is likely to have halved.

"If the driver had seen William, he would have only reacted at the point of impact.

"The moment William entered onto the carriageway, the collision was unavoidable."

Concluding the inquest, Ms Hepburn said: "It was while William was trying to get back across the road he stepped out past the parked vehicles and into the path of the van.

"He was then thrown into the oncoming carriageway into the path of a red Citroen.

"The van driver stopped and looked back and acknowledged he struck a child but was in shock and left the scene.

"Very sadly life-saving attempts were futile. He was unable to be resuscitated."

Folkestone magistrates previously heard, in a statement from William’s mother Laura Brown, how Powell had left her son “like an animal” in the road.

During the hearing in July, the boy’s dad, William Brown Snr, also described the driver’s actions as “cowardly” but added: “I know William would forgive Stewart… I forgive you, Stewart.”

At the inquest today, Ms Hepburn returned a conclusion of an accident.

"There would have been insufficient time for him [the driver] to have reacted - even less time if William had been running,” the coroner said.

"It is likely to be the case that at seven he would not have appreciated the danger of traffic.

"Sadly he came into the path of the oncoming van which was unable to avoid the collision.

"I could return the conclusion of a road traffic collision or an accident.

"While it was an RTC technically, as William was a pedestrian, I think the more appropriate conclusion is that of an accident."

William was laid to rest on January 13 at The Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe, a place he would often go to play with his friends. King Charles granted special permission for William to be buried at the historic graveyard which had been shut for burials since 1855.

Hundreds of mourners attended, with many lining the streets for the funeral procession through Folkestone, while 10,000 people tuned in to a live stream shared on KentOnline.

Powell, of St Mary’s Bay, was arrested in Dymchurch 24 hours after the tragedy.

He later admitted to police he had smoked a cannabis joint before the accident, but because he did not hand himself in until the following day, tests were unable to determine if he had been over the legal limit at the time.

When he appeared before magistrates, he pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of the accident and driving without valid insurance. He was later sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months, and a curfew.

Sentencing Powell, District Judge Claire Loxford said: “Your punishment will go far beyond the sentence I impose on you this morning.

“By leaving the scene you denied police the opportunity to investigate other offences, having accepted being a cannabis user at the time, and having used cannabis that day.”