David Bloor, known as George, suffered a fracture to his spine and developed bronchial pneumonia.

Theatre owner West Norfolk Council was publicly cleared of any wrongdoing at a hearing into Mr Bloor's death at Lynn County Court on Friday – the day Mr Bloor and his wife would have celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary.

Greater Norfolk coroner, Mr William Armstrong, said: "There is no evidence of any negligence at all on the part of the proprietors of the theatre. This was an unforeseeable, unfortunate and very tragic accident."

Retired Ministry of Transport worker Mr Bloor had enjoyed a Christmas pantomime with his wife Jean and 12-year-old granddaughter on the night he fell, the inquest heard.

He went off to the toilet and moments later Mrs Bloor was called to say her husband had taken a tumble.

It appeared Mr Bloor, of Weeting, had slipped on a step and cracked his head on a wall, the hearing was told.

Mr Bloor was taken to Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital following the fall on December 21, last year, and died there on December 30 – two days after his 89th birthday.

The borough council's health and safety welfare adviser Mr Brendan Toft told how a thorough investigation could uncover no negligence on the part of the council or its staff or find any fault with the steps.

However, since the accident the council has carried out further risk assessments and decided a notice board, which was off the wall to allow for decoration at the time of Mr Bloor's fall, could provide a cushion to reduce the impact should someone else have a similar fall.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Armstrong said it was clear from the evidence he had heard, Mr Bloor had been a "very fit and active man" before the fall.