A MAN who died when the taxi he was travelling in swerved to avoid an animal in the road was not wearing a seatbelt, an inquest heard yesterday.

Andrew Roland, 29, died of traumatic head and neck injuries after a taxi he was passenger in hit a brick bus shelter on the western edge of Dipton, County Durham, earlier this year.

The taxi was travelling from Newcastle to Consett on the A692 when the incid-ent happened, between 4.30am and 4.45am, on January 27.

Residents say there have been a number of accidents on that stretch of road, which has a number of s-bends.

Shahan Chowdhury, who was driving the taxi, told the inquest that something, which looked like a fox, ran out into the road.

He said Mr Rowland, who was in the middle of the back seat, was leaning forward through the gap in the front seats, talking to him.

"I told him, 'Please, leave me to concentrate on my drive'," Mr Chowdhury told the inquest, which was held at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court.

He said: "Before the accident, he told me, 'Watch, man'.

"It looked like a fox. He grabbed my arm."

Mr Chowdhury, from Newcastle, suffered broken ribs and a broken hip in the accident.

PC Andy Edgar, of Durham Police accident investigation unit, told the inquest that Mr Rowland, of Durham Road, Leadgate, near Consett, was not wearing a seatbelt.

He said Mr Rowland, who was thrown into the windscreen, was still in the car when police arrived.

"He was actually leaning between the two seats with his head up on the front windscreen," he said.

He said it was dark, the road was wet and it was raining when he arrived at the scene, but visibility was good.

There were no signs that the car had skidded or the brakes had locked and no mechanical faults were found with the car.

"Looking at the damage caused to the vehicle, it was not travelling at a high speed," he said.

He said the road was in a rural area, which would be consistent with an animal running on to the road.

"He swerved to avoid something in the road and, in doing so, crashed into the bus stop," he said.

Coroner Andrew Tweddle recorded a verdict of accidental death.