A tree surgeon dislocated his hip after falling more than 18 metres to the ground when the limb of a diseased tree he was working on gave way, a court heard today.

Daniel Hunt, 40, from Lydney, also suffered cuts and bruising in the incident at Courtfield Drive, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, on 18 April 2013.

The fall occurred as he helped to cut down a damaged chestnut tree that had shed another limb a few days earlier.

Richard Cole, who contracted self-employed Mr Hunt to do the work, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found the work was poorly planned.