A NEWCASTLE United fan who died from an electric shock after climbing on the roof of a train was retrieving his shoe which had flown off as he pretended to kick a football.

An inquest into the death of Andrew Minto heard that the 23-year-old was walking along the platform at Durham Station when he kicked the imaginary ball, causing his footwear to fly off and land on the carriage of a stationary train.

Mr Minto, of West Cornforth, County Durham, had been returning home from the Magpies’ loss at home to Blackpool in September last year when the accident happened.

As he climbed on the train, he made contact with an overhead power line, sending 25,000 volts through his body.

The force of the shock hurled him onto the tracks below.

Mr Minto, who worked for the marketing team at Durham County Council, was taken to hospital suffering from severe burns, where he survived for a week before dying from multiple organ failure.

At first it was thought somebody had thrown his shoe on to the train, but witnesses saw Mr Minto shape to kick an imaginary football when he lost his trainer.

In a statement read to the inquest, in Newcastle, Wendy Kemp, who was sitting on the train, said: “It looked like he was pretending to take a penalty when his shoe flew off.”

Another witness, Anne Anderson, said: “When he actually started to climb up between the carriages, I went closer to him and yelled at him not to do that.

“I don’t know if he heard but he didn’t respond.

“I think his back then made contact with the cable and there was a bright flash of light and a crackling noise.

“It looked like he had disappeared but he had actually fallen on to the tracks on the other side of the train.”

Returning a verdict of accidental death, coroner David Mitford said: “This is clearly a tragedy. I’m satisfied it probably didn’t cross Andrew’s mind what he was doing might put him in danger.”

Speaking after the inquest, his father, Peter, said: “Andrew was a natural gentleman.

He was thoughtful, humorous, generous and courteous – attributes which endeared him immediately to all those who met him.

“It is an absolute tragedy, which transcends mere words, that such a thoroughly loving and decent young man is no longer with us.”