Sir Bobby Charlton died after an accidental fall at a care home, an inquest has heard.

The England and Manchester United legend died aged 86 in Macclesfield General Hospital on 21 October.

The inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court heard Sir Bobby was living in The Willows in Knutsford, a nursing home caring for patients with dementia.

Senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish concluded his death was accidental.

The hearing was told Sir Bobby had lost his balance as he stood up from his chair, striking a window sill and “possibly a radiator”.

Staff performed a full-body check at the time and noted no visible injuries, and recorded his mobility seemed unaffected.

But they later noticed swelling on his back and paramedics were called to the centre, where he had been receiving respite care since July.

He was then taken to a local hospital before being moved to Macclesfield General Hospital.

A chest X-ray and CT scan revealed he had fractured his ribs and was likely to develop pneumonia, the inquest heard.

Doctors then agreed Sir Bobby should be put on end-of-life care, dying five days later.

The inquest heard he had an extensive medical history and had also contracted Covid in September.

Care home manager Tamara Simmons, said Sir Bobby “needed support with all aspects of daily living”.

The coroner gave the cause of death as trauma in the lungs, a fall and dementia.

Following the inquest, Karen Slater, associate operations director at MHA which owns the care home, said Sir Bobby had been living at the site for a short period of time.

“Staff at the home were very fond of Sir Bobby and cared for and supported him, as they do for all our residents,” she said.

“Our deepest sympathies go to his widow Lady Norma Charlton and his family.”

Widely hailed as one of England’s greatest ever players, Sir Bobby was a key figure in the Three Lions’ 1966 World Cup victory.

During a 17-year first-team career with United he won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup.

Thousands of fans have left tributes at Old Trafford, with the area in front of the famous Trinity statue – where he is immortalised alongside team-mates George Best and Denis Law – flooded with memorabilia and flowers.

Plans for a full memorial service later this month have also been unveiled.

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