A SEMI-retired builder who died after falling from the roof of a Bolton house was the "author of his own misfortune" after failing to secure the scaffold and ladder he was working from.

John Hollingworth, 68, of Chassen Road, Heaton, was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital in November last year after falling more than 12 feet from the roof of the house he was working on, to the concrete floor below.

The builder, who had more than 40 years experience in the trade, later died of multiple injuries to the head, neck and torso.

The jury at a Bolton inquest which returned an accidental death verdict, was told that Mr Hollingworth and colleague Graham Brooks were working to repair roofing fascia at a house in Hillside, Bolton, when the accident happened.

In a statement, Mr Hollingworth's widow Lillian, told how her husband had been involved in the building trade all his life before going into semi-retirement.

"He still wanted to keep his hand in but would only do jobs for friends or long-standing customers," Mrs Hollingworth said.

Mr Brooks said they had erected the scaffold tower to work on the roofing but neither man had secured it to the wall to make it secure.

"We would normally tie it to the wall but I think we felt the job was not going to take very long," said Mr Brooks. "It should have been done. I suppose it was negligence on both our parts."

He said Mr Hollingworth propped a ladder against the side of the scaffold tower and climbed to the top to repair the fascia.

But Mr Brooks said he heard Mr Hollingworth shout "I'm falling" and turned to see the ladder slipping and him first falling onto a porch roof before rolling off onto the concrete below.

Health and Safety Inspector Christine Goddard, who inspected the scene after the accident, said working from a ladder was not advised but if this was the case it should have been fastened to the inside of the scaffold, not propped up against the outside.

She also said the scaffolding had not been erected properly and should have been secured.

"The accident may have been caused by Mr Hollingworth leaning over the porch causing the ladder to slip and pitch him onto the porch roof," said Mrs Goddard.

"In my opinion he has been the author of his own misfortune to some extent because of the bad positioning of the ladders."

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.