A DAUGHTER has described how she battled in vain to save her father's life after he was stung by a swarm of wasps.

Farmer Colin Marlow, 56, was stung four or five times after disturbing a wasps' nest while dismantling a shed at the family smallholding in Stuckton Road, near Fordingbridge.

A Southampton inquest heard yesterday how the father-of-three, a diabetic, felt dizzy after the incident on August 4 and collapsed in the bathroom.

His daughter, Karla Marlow, 28, said: "My dad was pulling down a shed in the garden.

"Wasps came out of the shed. He was hitting them off. I shouted out to him and, as he turned around, there were some on his back.

"He said they had got him about four or five times. He tried to carry on for a few minutes but there were wasps all around so he stopped."

Describing how her father went inside the house, Miss Marlow continued: "He was by the sink, splashing water on his face. He said he felt a bit dizzy; a bit funny. He said his chest felt a bit tight. He said he couldn't breathe, then he fell backwards."

Miss Marlow said she had already shouted for her mother and sister-in-law to call for a doctor but she then told them to ring for an ambulance.

Describing how she performed mouth-to-mouth, she said: "I breathed for him. He still had a heartbeat. The GP arrived but, while he was examining him, his heart stopped."

The hearing heard how Mr Marlow, who was married to Lynda, with whom he had another daughter, Georgina, 32, and a son, Dean, 33, died at the scene.

A post-mortem revealed the grandfather-of-two had a heart problem which could have proved fatal at any time.

But pathologist Bruce Addis said: "There is no doubt that had he not been stung he would not have died at that time."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Southampton Coroner Keith Wiseman said: "This was a very sudden, very unexpected shock to everyone in the family who was present at the time. I am sure it was an extraordinarily difficult day for everyone."

First published: Sept 1