A HUSBAND and father died of heart failure before falling from a roof while working as a builder.

An inquest into the death of Stanislaw Hurkala, of Twyford Crescent, Acton, ruled that he died of natural causes.

The builder died in Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise, on March 13 and an inquest was concluded on what would have been Mr Hurkala’s 63rd birthday, Wednesday, September 4.

His wife, Stanislawa, and two daughters attended the inquest at North London Coroner’s Court, Barnet.

Doctor Simon Poole carried out the autopsy at Northwick Park Hospital and recorded that Mr Hurkala had significant heart disease which could have caused sudden death at any time.

He concluded that his death was not trauma-related, despite the builder falling from the roof onto a board on the scaffolding. There were no drugs in his system and he was not under the influence of alcohol.

A fellow worker at the house where they were working knew Stanley, the name he used in Britain.

In the evidence which was read out at the inquest, Piotr Sajdak, a plasterer, said: “I have known Stanley for about a year. We were both from villages near each other in Poland. He was doing work on the tiles on the top of the house.

“Later in the morning the other men who were on the roof told me Stanley had fallen down. I went up to the roof and saw Stanley on a board on the scaffolding on his side. A person in the street called an ambulance. I went out on to the roof and said ‘you need to check his breathing’ and the other guy on the roof said he wasn’t breathing."

Coroner Andrew Walker said: "He has significant heart disease and high blood pressure. The injuries and marks found were minimal and in my view the cause of death wasn’t trauma related. If I ask myself whether there was anything in the circumstance so as to make this death unnatural the answer would be no.

“Stanislaw Hurkala was found on scaffolding where he was working as a builder where he collapsed. He died of natural causes."

The family were concerned he had not been given a helmet or protective shoes but it was made clear by the investigation that this was not a requirement as appropriate boards were in place.

There was a joint investigation between the police and the Health and Safety Executive but it ruled that the company overseeing the work had acted properly and all precautions had been taken.