AN inquest into the death of a man found unconscious in a police cell was told of detailed analysis of closed-circuit television footage yesterday.

John McDonnell, 33, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, died in March 2003 after being taken to Scarborough Police Station from his parents' home on the town's Eastfield estate.

His parents had called an ambulance after finding him having an apparent fit, but paramedics said he was too violent to treat and called for police back-up.

Police officers restrained him and took him to Scarborough Police Station. As he was taken out of the van, he fell to the ground, and his head hit the concrete floor.

He was carried to a cell, but was found dead minutes later. A post-mortem examination concluded that he died from cocaine poisoning.

Yesterday, the inquest, in Northallerton, heard a statement from imaging expert Andrew Laws, who had studied film footage from the police station's van dock and cell areas.

He concluded that there was no evidence of any form of assault on Mr McDonnell while he was at the station.

A second report dealt with how Mr McDonnell came to fall out of the van. It said: "There is strong support for the contention that the momentum of the deceased resulted in the deceased falling out of the vehicle.

"It is also highly likely that the aggressive and distracting actions of the deceased made it difficult for the officers to provide the necessary support for his upper torso and head."

The inquest continues.