A DRINK driver died because he was not wearing his seat belt when he crashed into trees on his way to see his girlfriend in a Cotswold village, an inquest heard.

Philip Coulding, 22, was twice over the drink drive limit and going too fast when he lost control of his car on a country lane at Bagendon, near Cirencester, in April, the inquest was told.

His airbag inflated after he had hit two trees but it was ineffective because he was not wearing his seatbelt and he died at the scene from severe chest trauma, despite the efforts of police and paramedics to keep him alive with CPR.

The inquest was told that his girlfriend Antoinette Grieve, of Woodmancote, near Cirencester, had been alerted to the accident a short distance from her home and feared it might be Philip.

She arrived on the scene in Cutham Lane with a friend to see the emergency services attending to Philip and realised that her worst fears had been confirmed.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore recorded a verdict that Philip, of Fosse Way, Cirencester, died accidentally on April 25 2009.

The coroner said he was sure that tiredness and the excessive alcohol had a 'significant effect' on Mr Coulding's reactions as he drove his Rover car to his girlfriend's home.

Mr Coulding was doing about 31mph when he hit the trees and that was a speed which was too fast for the narrow winding lane and the proximity of trees, the coroner added.

"He came across a right hand bend, failed to negotiate it and collided with a tree, The sadness is that had he been wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision he would have survived the crash."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Crickmore said he was satisfied that Philip's injuries were not survivable and that there was nothing more the emergency services could have done.

Mr Coulding's three sisters attended the inquest but declined to comment after the hearing.