Estate agent Denis Knowles died within hours of being sent home from hospital after treatment for a heart attack, an inquest was told.

Mr Knowles had still been working from his Silsden office at the age of 81 up to his death on January 8 at his home in Low Bank, Embsay.

The coroner for the Western District of North Yorkshire, Geoff Fell, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates' Court last Thursday, recorded a verdict of death from natural causes.

Mr Fell said Mr Knowles's family had been concerned about the fact he had been released from Airedale Hospital "a matter of hours before his death".

But a review of his clinical records by Daniel Scott, an independent pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination, showed the full range of acute interventional procedures had been carried out and hospital records confirmed there had been a standard approach to treatment.

Dr Scott added that any re-admission to hospital would have had "no impact on the final outcome".

Mr Fell added: "The degree of damage to his heart muscle was massive."