A machine in which a man was crushed to death should be modified in order to avoid a similar tragedy, a Coroner has urged.

Martin Baker, 38, died after falling off a conveyor belt and into a chute feeding the paper-baling machine at the Bradford Council-run waste recycling plant in Bowling Back Lane in August last year.

An inquest jury yesterday returned a verdict of misadventure on Mr Baker, of Andover Green, Holme Wood, Bradford.

During the three-day inquest, it was revealed that the conveyor belt was switched off, but the compactor part of the machine below was not.

When Mr Baker lost his footing and fell, it started running for a few seconds until a workmate pressed an emergency stop button.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said if some form of switching could be provided that ensured that when the conveyor was stopped the rest of the machine also stopped then that might avert a similar tragedy. He urged that it should not be used again or sold on without that modification.

The inquest was told that Mr Baker, a "picker" who sorted out material prior to it being put in the baler, had been using a 5ft wooden pole as he tried to clear cardboard blocking the machinery.

"Mr Baker... climbed over the blinkers metal guards and on to the conveyor at the top end and was seen jumping up and down," said Mr Whittaker.

Fellow worker Andrew Crewdson heard a scream and saw Mr Baker disappear down the chute.

A hospital medical team rushed to the scene, but he was pronounced dead from a crush injury to his head.

An investigation was undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive, which found that the safety key system in use was typical of that kind of machinery and the guarding met required levels.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Baker's fiancee Louise Munday said although the couple's daughter Jessica, who is now five, knew her father had died in August last year, she did not know how.

Miss Munday said she had not ruled out the possibility of taking legal action against Bradford Council.

"I'm now ready to take Jessica to see a professional who can explain exactly how Martin came to his death in that ugly machine," said Miss Munday, 34.

"Jessica finds it hard to open up to me about it but we talk about the positive things about Martin and she always carries a toy dog around with her that he bought her.

"He shouldn't have been there but it's something you simply don't think is going to happen to you."

Richard Wixey, Bradford Council's director of environmental protection and waste management, said: "Our sympathies are with Martin's family.

"We have noted the jury's verdict but we believe there are lessons to be learned from any incident like this. We will consider any recommendations.