A MAN killed by a train in a village near Wellington in early December had been standing in the centre of the railway tracks, a coroner has been told.

Devon coroner Philip Spinney heard a Great Western Railway Edinburgh to Plymouth train rounded a bend at high speed just outside Burlescombe and struck the man.

Mr Spinney, who was told there was no suggestion the man had fallen, opened an inquest into the death of Wakefield-born David Mark Richards, aged 45, a married man who was a senior Devon lecturer.

He said the emergency services attended the December 4 incident but Mr Richards was declared dead at the scene.

Mr Spinney adjourned the inquest proceedings until a date still to be confirmed.