An Afghanistan veteran died in a lorry collision in Wiltshire as he tried to avoid a large pothole in the road on his bicycle, an inquest has found.

Captain Jonathan Allen, 29, was riding along the A338 near Tidworth in the rain and dark when the accident occurred on March 24 this year.

The pothole - one of a series stretching for 20 metres near the Leckford crossroads - was reported to Wiltshire County Council by a member of the public three weeks before and inspected. Patricia Couling said the hole was so big she thought her wheels would fall off as she hit it in her car.

But it was 5mm too shallow and not wide enough by the criteria used by the council for it to be repaired within seven days, the hearing in Salisbury was told by council highways manager Peter Hanson.

Deputy assistant Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner Ian Singleton recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said: "I believe that on the balance of probabilities, Jonathan did not appreciate his proximity to the degraded road surface and as a result of this he fell from his bicycle into the path of an articulated lorry."

Mr Allen, who was adjutant for the 1st battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and had completed two tours in Afghanistan, suffered severe head injuries when he collided with the lorry about eight miles from his home in Burbage, Wiltshire.

Accident investigator PC James Trafford told the hearing in Salisbury it appeared he slammed on his rear brake just before the hole and fell into the path of the Stephen Wall's lorry, which could not have avoided or expected the collision.

Mr Wall said that he was en route back to his company depot, Robert Wiseman Dairies Ltd at Droitwich, Worcestershire, when he saw a cyclist's light in the distance and prepared to overtake.

"As I got closer, he suddenly turned his head around and looked directly at the unit. I was quite startled by this. He had a look of surprise on his face," he said. "As the cyclist turned his head he fell to the right. I braked and I felt a bump. It was an emergency brake and I stopped after a short distance and I jumped out."

Mr Wall, 55, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, said he saw Mr Allen's helmet in the road as he ran along his lorry and found him under the unit. He said: "He had massive head injuries and was obviously dead."