A RETIRED miner from Selby who was admitted to hospital with breathing problems died of natural causes, an inquest has heard. George William Crick, 63, of Water Lane in Hemingbrough, died on May 21, 2010, after being admitted to York Hospital with shortness of breath.

York Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Crick, who had worked as a miner for 35 years, had been informed that he had a scarring on the lungs by a doctor in 2001.

Mr Crick had worked for British Coal at Lea Hall Colliery in Staffordshire and later for RJB mining at North Selby Colliery.

The court heard from Dr Andrew Clark, consultant pathologist at York Hospital, who found coal dust molecules and emphysema in Mr Crick’s lungs.

But Dr Clark said although Mr Crick had coal workers pneumoconiosis, a form of lung disease, it was not the cause of his death or a contributory factor.

Recording a verdict of natural causes, coroner Donald Coverdale said Mr Crick had died as a result of pneumonia.

He said: “Mr Crick suffered from coal workers pneumoconiosis but it was not the cause of death. The cause of his death was acute exacerbation of usual interstitial pneumonia type fibrosis.”