A holiday maker tragically fell to his death while looking for the toilet in a Spanish bar cafe, an inquest has heard.

Seasoned tourist Colin Wild, 74, had been enjoying a two-week sunshine break in the resort of Denia with his wife Ann when the accident happened two years ago, yesterday’s hearing in Bradford was told.

Mr Wild, of Keighley Road, Steeton, had gone to find the toilet in a pavement cafe where he and his wife had been having coffee, but was put off when he went inside to find it was a cyber-cafe with a bank of computers, his son Martin Wild told the inquest.

The retired sales office manager went to look for a toilet elsewhere and when he failed to return to his wife she went to look for him, asking at all the bars along the busy street if anyone had seen him.

It was when she got to one called El Comercio she discovered her husband had been found dead from a head injury after he had fallen down steep stone steps into a storeroom – through a door that should have been locked.

In a statement read at the inquest, she said she was “forcibly prevented” from seeing her husband for about one hour and was “pushed down” into a seat until the medics had gone.

The inquest was told it was the first door Mr Wild would have seen when he went through the restaurant’s swing doors.

Mr Wild’s son and 17-year-old grandson, who live in Thornton, had gone out four months after his death to see where he had died.

There were no signs in English, the first step down through the door was about a foot deep, dropping straight down and the lights might have been off, said Mr Wild, giving evidence.

A post-mortem examination carried out in Spain found Mr Wild had died of severe head injuries, but Acting Bradford coroner Professor Paul Marks told the family yesterday he would have gone unconcious instantly and suffered no pain.

A police report read out at the inquest, said the cellar door, which had a paper sign saying private in Spanish, should have been locked and the keys kept in the kitchen. It had been the chef who made the grim discovery.

While Mrs Wild was kept waiting to see her husband, she said an ex-pat British woman told her the staff were worried they could be prosecuted because the cellar door should not have been left unlocked.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Prof Marks told the family despite his finding they could still pursue civil action or a claim against the business.

After the inquest Mrs Wild said her husband was a much-loved family man, who had many friends and an engaging manner.

“He is greatly missed by all of us, but especially his five grandchildren,” she said.