Man dies in jousting TV reenactment

A man died during a jousting re-enactment because of failures to ensure a correct helmet was worn and failures to ensure his shield was appropriately assembled, a coroner ruled yesterday.

Paul Allen, 54, from Heyden in Cambridgeshire, died after a splinter went through the eye hole of his helmet, penetrating his eye and brain. The re-enactment at Rockingham Castle in Northamptonshire was being filmed for Channel 4's Time Team TV programme.

Mr Allen died on 20 September 2007 in hospital, a week after the incident.

The coroner, Anne Pember, gave a narrative verdict, saying there had been several failures resulting in the accident.