Austin Thomas, 29, was struck from behind by the shovel loader at UPM Shotton in Flintshire on 6 February 2017.

The inquest jury in Abergele heard lorry driver Darren Wright initially thought he ran over a bundle of paper.

He said he only realised what happened when he heard a fellow worker radio to ask why Mr Thomas was on the floor.

Shortly before the fatal collision, Mr Wright had been on a cigarette break with father-of-one Mr Thomas, from Oakenholt, the inquest heard.

After their break, Mr Wright was unaware his colleague had re-entered the warehouse on foot.

Mr Thomas, a former soldier in the Welsh Guards who had served in Kosovo and Afghanistan, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following his death, Mr Wright took a saliva drugs test, which he passed, although some traces of cannabis were later found in his blood.

Mr Wright admitted smoking cannabis the weekend before the accident, which happened on a Monday.