A 29 stone Charlton fan died from a heart attack as a charity event at his local pub ended in violence, an inquest heard.

Duncan Frame, 52, was seen trying to break up a fight which turned The Cutty Sark pub, Joyce Dawson Way, Thamesmead, into a disaster scene, Southwark Coroner's Court heard.

Rival groups of Addicks and Spurs fans were seen smashing glasses and breaking off table legs to use as weapons.

Mr Frame, known as "Big Duncan", suffered a blow on the head and later died.

A murder investigation was launched and 20 arrests were made in connection with the incident.

However, a post-mortem examination found Mr Frame, of Edington Road, Abbey Wood, had died of heart failure brought on as a result of the fight.

The inquest heard the retired pub landlord had organised a barbecue at the pub to raise money for a special school.

His wife Shirley told the hearing she had spoken to her husband shortly before his death on September 10, 2006.

CCTV footage showed the pub became extremely busy at around 11pm and a fight spilled out onto the street soon afterwards.

Several men were treated in hospital following the brawl.

Mr Frame was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, where he died later that night.

Recording an open verdict on Tuesday (February 5), coroner John Sampson said: "It is clear in the incident he suffered an assault and received a blow to the head and this it appears may have triggered a change in his heart rhythms from which he died.

"'It was a natural event in the sense of his underlying obesity situation, his damaged heart and heart failure but I am not going to record a cause of death as natural because I believe the incident in the pub was very significant."

  • Seven men were charged with violent disorder in relation to the pub fight and will stand trial at Croydon Crown Court later this year.