A WALL collapsed and killed a toddler in his grandfather's garden, an inquest heard.

And the wall was reported as unsafe to a council weeks before, a coroner was told.

Eighteen-months-old Connor Keith Morgan was at his grandparents' house in Cefn Fforest Avenue, Cefn Fforest, when the accident happened on August 7, 2003.

Newport coroner's court heard that Connor had thrown a beach ball into a neighbouring garden and his uncle Dafydd Morgan lifted him over to retrieve it. Grandfather Andrew Morgan told the court the wall toppled on top of the toddler but he did not see Dafydd touch the wall.

"He (the uncle) lifted him over, turned around then the wall collapsed," Mr Morgan said. Mr Morgan told the court both he and his neighbour had contacted Caerphilly council about the wall before the accident because it was unsafe.

Connor was taken to Prince Charles Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement Connor's mother, Rachel Harris, saidher son was a "normal, happy, healthy child".

Mr Morgan described him as "really bubbly and happy."

Dr Steven Leadbeatter, a consultant pathologist with the Home Office, concluded that Connor died as a result of a head injury.

Phil Charrett, a Health and Safety Executive inspector, said the 20-year-old wall was only one brick thick and would have weighed around 300kg. While no record of a phone call to the council about the unsafe wall could be found that did not mean the call was not made, Mr Charrett said. Gwent coroner David Bowen said: "If it did have a crack it was an accident waiting to happen."

He said Dafydd Morgan was "adamant" he had not touched the wall, and the weather was fine with no wind to blow it over.

Mr Bowen said: "The wall must have been defective. A sound wall would not have toppled on its own as this one did. There must have been some inherent crack in the wall. On this fateful afternoon I am satisfied that some force was exerted on the top of the wall quite unintentionally that caused it to fall."

He suggested that Dafydd Morgan could have brushed against the wall, or even that Connor himself hit the wall with "his little feet".

"This was unintentional, unintended and unforseen," said Mr Bowen.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.