AN 84-year-old man died after choking on a piece of steak while celebrating his 57th wedding anniversary at an Odiham bistro.

A coroner’s inquest at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Monday heard how Michael Arnold Pitts, of Old Basing, was celebrating with his wife Joan at The Grapevine restaurant on June 16 when the meat became lodged in his throat.

Restaurant staff and paramedics tried to resuscitate him but he died in hospital.

Speaking at the inquest, Mrs Pitts paid tribute to all those who had tried to help, saying everyone had “worked extremely hard” to try to save her husband.

In recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Coroner Andrew Bradley said that the post-mortem examination had shown the cause of death to be asphyxia contributed to by heart disease and old age.

It was, he said, a celebration that had gone tragically wrong.