The death of an expert paediatrician who died while cycling in the Lake District was a desperate tragedy, a coroner said.

Dr Simon Newell died last August after coming off his bike at Newlands Pass, near Buttermere.

An inquest this week concluded that the 59-year-old had jumped from the bike while coming round a sharp bend, which he was unable to negotiate.

Senior coroner David Roberts said that unfortunately the father-of-three had jumped onto a bank where there was a significant drop and landed awkwardly on his head and neck.

He was unable to say why Dr Newell had got into difficulties on the bike, calling him an “experienced and confident” rider.

He said: “This is a steep hill. Simon knew the bend was there and I’m satisfied he was a careful rider.

“It’s possible he could have came across a sheep, you just don’t know.

“What is clear is that the bike was not going to go round the corner. Whatever happened, Simon left the road, hit the uneven ground and decided to jump and unfortunately for him he’s landed this way and sustained fatal injuries as a result.”

Dr Newell was a consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, specialising in neonatal medicine.

He and his wife Debra, also a doctor, were due to retire to Braithwaite, where they owned a cottage, five weeks after his death.

Mrs Newell told the inquest she had lost the “other half of her team”.

“We both worked really hard and were about to retire together,” she said.

“He was a very sociable man and spoke to everyone he met. He was very happy in his job and his family.

“I just admired him. Thirty-four years together wasn’t long enough.”

In a statement, issued after the inquest, his family said: “We have all been devastated by Simon’s passing and his frail parents are struggling to carry on.

“He was widely respected in the medical profession and his loss has left a massive hole in the sphere he worked in.”

The family thanked their immediate neighbours in Braithwaite for their support.

Dr Newell was also a trustee for the children’s charity Sparks and a former vice president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Mr Roberts concluded that Dr Newell died as a result of an accident, with the cause of his death being head and neck injuries.