An inquest into the death of a man working at Falmouth Docks will hear evidence over why a safety system was not in place for the lift he was working in.

Steven Summerside of Sunderland was 45 when he died while working on the Irish Ferries-owned car ferry MV Ulysses on January 11 last year.

A pre-inquest hearing held today (26/6) at Truro City Hall heard that a post mortem found Mr Summerside died as a result of traumatic asphyxia.

The hearing largely dealt with administrative matters ahead of a full inquest to be held in October or November this year.

Among matters discussed were witness lists, and Dr Emma Carlyon, Cornwall's coroner, said that two of the witnesses to be called will give evidence as to "why the lift safe system was not in place at the time" of Mr Summerside's death.

Another witness, Darren Nash of the health and safety executive, is expected to tell the inquest that the "lift was working fine," and to explain the reasons why the incident occurred.

The inquest will also hear statements from a worker at the docks who gave Mr Summerside a socket set in the morning, and then noticed that he didn't turn up for morning break, while other witness statements will deal with the recovery of his body, and attempts at CPR including the use of a defibrillator.

Dr Carlyon also heard from Ian Graham, a barrister representing Devon and Cornwall Police, that one question that remained unanswered ahead of the inquest was Mr Summerside's employment status, whether he was a contractor or was employed by one of the companies working at the docks, which could impact on the level of training he had received.

Present for the hearing were representatives of Mr Summerside's widow Donna, Irish Ferries and Matrix Ship Management Company, Safeline Marine Aftersales and Nowell's Loss Adjusters, A&P Falmouth and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), all of whom requested to be named as interested parties in the proceedings, and Devon and Cornwall Police.

Dr Carlyon said Michael Moore, who will be giving evidence relating to the lift safe system, should be considered as an interested party, although he was not at the hearing and was not represented.

It was agreed that the inquest will require a jury, and will be held over two to three days in October or November, most likely on October 16 to 18, with a final agreement over the schedule to be made within the next week.

The 51,000-tonne Ulysses had been in the dry dock at Falmouth for an annual refit when Mr Summerside, who was reported at the time to be a contractor, was killed.

The incident followed another in August 2014 which saw two men seriously injured when scaffolding fell on them in the steel stock area of the docks, and the death of a painter in 2009 when he was struck by a piece of plant being moved by a crane.

In another incident a crane inspector reportedly had to climb to the ground with a broken collarbone after he was allegedly injured when one of the docks' cranes was started up while he was on the structure.

And an operative at the docks was hailed as a hero when he slewed his crane away from workers on board the new RFA Tidespring, narrowly avoiding potential injuries or even death, during an accident which saw people on deck hit by falling debris.