AN ELDERLY man who loved his food died after choking on a piece of meat, an inquest heard.

Charles Sadler Shaw, 88, who was better known as Tim, was a resident of Chesham Bois Manor, a specialist care nursing home, when he died on June 5.

Mr Shaw, a former accountant, suffered from dementia which makes it easier for people to choke to death and was put on a diet of minced food.

It is not known if Mr Shaw took the meat or if someone gave it to him, the inquest heard.

On the night of his death Mr Shaw had been eating dinner with several of his friends in the dining hall at the home in Amersham Road, Chesham.

Many of the people on his table were on normal diets.

Elaine Ward, the manager of the care home, tearfully explained that Mr Shaw was a charming man who had many friends in the home.

She told Amersham Coroner's Court that Mr Shaw had almost died once before.

She said: "I performed the Heimlich manoeuvre that time and he recovered well."

She added: "After that we put him on a mince meat diet to reduce the risk of him choking."

However, he died when trying to eat a piece of solid meat, which the inquest heard measured 8cm by 3cm by 3cm.

Richard Hulett, coroner for Buckinghamshire, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "Notwithstanding his age and dementia he certainly had a zest for his dinner and unfortunately that was what led to the incident of his death."

His daughter, Allison Bowler, from Rickmansworth, said his condition had changed his personality and he often took food without asking.

She said: "He often came to me for Sunday lunches."

She added: "I know that if he wanted something he just took it. He did love his food and he did shovel it in."