A MAN died after choking on a pork sandwich at a North Yorkshire festival.

Richard Agar, 68, bought the snack from the Trufflehunters hogroast stand at the Wild About Wood event, which was held at Castle Howard on September 15 last year.

Moments later he walked behind the counter, gasping for breath an inquest at Scarborough heard. In a statement, owner Andy Aikman, said: “He mimed the Heimlich manoeuvre to me and I realised he was choking.”

Mr Aikman, who is trained in first aid, performed the manoeuvre a number of times but Mr Agar, of Selby, lost consciousness.

Despite attempts from other visitors and paramedics – who managed to pull out “a quantity of pork” from his throat – Mr Agar could not be resuscitated. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.