A WORK accident in England has claimed the life of a retired forest manager from Co Down.
Frank Sheridan (78) died after being involved in an afternoon collision with a lorry, while working at a forest machinery exhibition in Warwickshire.
He sustained "multiple serious injuries" in the collision and was airlifted to Birmingham Hospital where he later passed away.
Mr Sheridan was a former forest manager at the Fasque Castle Estate in Scotland and had lived in the Aberdeenshire village of Strachan.
Following his retirement he had been back living in Banbridge, where he was a member of the Banbridge U3A walking and family history groups.
The Co Down native had been over in England helping to set up the APF 2016 Arboriculture and Forestry show at Raglew Hall in Alcester when tragedy struck.
A spokeswoman from West Midlands Ambulances Service confirmed Mr Sheridan received extensive treatment at the scene, before being air-lifted to hospital.
"Ambulance staff arrived to find an elderly man who had been involved in a collision with a HGV and sustained multiple serious injuries. The man was given advanced trauma care at the scene by ambulance staff and the doctor before being airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in a critical condition," she said.
A representative from APF 2016 expressed their sympathies to the Sheridan family.
They confirmed that "despite the best efforts of doctors" Frank died from his injuries at around 9pm in hospital on September 13.
A service of thanksgiving for Mr Sheridan's life will take place on Friday in Banbridge Methodist Church at 2pm. Mr Sheridan is survived by wife Aileen and siblings Betty and Victor.
