An 11-year-old boy who was killed by a falling branch died in a "dreadful accident", an inquest has found.

The jury at the inquest into the death of Daniel Mullinger, who died during a school trip to Norfolk, a year ago, returned a verdict of accidental death.

Daniel, a pupil at Heathlands Primary School in West Bergholt, was hit by a falling tree branch at Felbrigg Hall.

He was killed by the impact and pals Harry Bowen, 11, Katie Farthing, 11, and ten-year-old Max Farley were injured.

Coroner William Armstrong said the accident had happened during a "well organised, carefully planned and properly supervised" activity.

"He died as a result of an unforseeable accident and the only blessing is that he died instantly," the coroner said. "We can only hope that his mum and dad and sister Lucy will be comforted by treasured memories of a lovely little boy whose life was cruelly cut short in this dreadful accident."

  • Earlier evidence to the Daniel Mullinger inquest:

A branch that fell and killed an 11-year-old boy showed evidence of "previous partial failure".

But arboriculturalist Richard Ravencroft said that the "historic weakness" would not have been visible during inspections of the beech tree carried out by the National Trust, an inquest heard.

Daniel Mullinger, from Stanway, was killed on June 26 last year when the 23-metre long branch fell on him during a school trip to Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk.

Mr Ravencroft examined the branch and tree afterwards as part of a police investigation into the incdient.

"There was weather staining in the wood of the branch and I would say a crack had developed some time before," he said.

"This showed the previous incident of an opening of the join between branch and trunk."

The wooded area had been surveyed from the ground twice in January.

"In an area of this size a walkover survey would be the first point of survey and would not have shown anything up on the branch in question," Mr Ravencroft said.

* The hearing continues