A self-employed roofer suffered fatal injuries when he fell from a roof while working on a Mid Wales garage building. An inquest is now due to be opened.

James Hornby had been working on the M Burgins and Son garage building in Fronwen Lane, Dolau, near Llandrindod Wells, when he fell from the the roof and later died.

Mr Hornby’s details have been passed to Geraint Williams, Powys coroner, and an inquest is due to be opened.

Police are investigating the death, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has also been called in to examine the circumstances.

A Dyfed-Powys police spokeswoman said today: “We had a call at 2.15pm on Thursday, that a man had fallen through a roof.

“He was airlifted to Hereford County Hospital by the Welshpool air ambulance, but sadly he died.”

Robert Gage, of the HSE, said an incident had taken place at the Dolau garage

“There was an incident there,” he said. “The HSE is involved, but with fatal incidents like this, it’s normal for the police to be taking the lead in the investigation at first. A roofer was working on the garage roof and we understand he actually fell from it. He suffered fatal injuries.

“The investigation is ongoing at the moment.”

The death has led to the garage owners delaying a planning application to turn a field beside the garage into a driving school for four-wheel-drive vehicles, because the investigation into the death has taken precedence.

A Powys County Council spokeswoman said the planning application for a 4×4 training track had been withdrawn from the agenda of today’s Radnorshire planning committee meeting due to the death.