THE mother of a farm labourer, killed when he became trapped under machinery being towed by a tractor, said he died doing a job he loved.

Daniel Adams, 32, died from head injuries after the incident which happened in a field in Walton-on-Trent.

A jury at Derby Coroner's Court yesterday returned a verdict of misadventure, after hearing Mr Adams got too close to the tractor, which was driven by a young colleague.

Paramedics and the air ambulance attended the scene in Little Neville's Field, off Catton Road, on October 2, 2007, but Mr Adams was pronounced dead at the scene.

Outside the inquest hearing, Mr Adams' mother, Judith, said farming had been in her son's blood since he was a child.

She said: “He was brought up on a farm in the middle of the countryside and was born to be in the open environment dealing with animals.

“When he was a child, he could identify tractors just by recognising their engine sound and he loved machinery – the bigger the better. It was his passion.

“For his 21st birthday, we bought him his HGV licence and he passed it the first time of asking. He was outgoing, social and a lot of fun.”

She said Mr Adams was born in Whalley, Lancashire, and attended agricultural college. He had spent his life working on farms and as an HGV driver.

At the time of his death, he had been living with his partner in Leet Court, Handsacre, Staffordshire.

The avid Liverpool fan had been working for Startin Farms when the accident happened last year.

The inquest heard Mr Adams had driven the tractor, which was towing the rolling unit, to the field, where colleague Edward Glover, the son of company director James Startin, took over.

Jurors were told that, for a short period while Mr Glover cultivated the potato field, Mr Adams sat with him before jumping off to check the work.

Edward Glover said he had been driving the tractor at about three or four mph when he felt a bump and then saw Mr Adams.

The inquest heard Mr Adams may have tried to jump back on the tractor, but there was no way to say how or why.