THE son of a man who died after collapsing and falling from a ladder has praised paramedics who fought to save his father's life.

David Double, believed to be a banker, was fixing the side wall at his home in Selcroft Road, Purley, when the accident happened.

Paramedics rushed to the house by road and the air ambulance was scrambled, landing in one of Mr Double's neighbour's gardens.

Mr Double, 62, was rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting in a critical condition and died hours later. It is believed he may have had a heart attack on the ladder and fallen to the ground.

His son, who did not want to be named, thanked paramedics who were on the scene within minutes.

Speaking on behalf of the family he said: "The paramedics were really good, very professional and I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

"My father was doing home improvements when he fell from a ladder and at the moment we just don't know what happened."

Neighbour Pin Patel said the community was shocked at the sudden death.

He added: "My wife said she saw the air ambulance land and went outside. She saw lots of paramedics rushing about and David was being attended to by them.

"We heard later on he had died and we went round to offer our condolences. They are a lovely family and David was a very nice man.

"He loved doing home improvements and was always fixing the house. His wife, Veronica, was just in shock when we saw her."

Mr Patel said he believed Mrs Double's father had died just days before her husband.

Another neighbour, Nicholas Phipps, who lives on nearby Oakwood Avenue, said he saw the air ambulance land.

"We heard a low flying aircraft and it looked like it was just circling round the area. Then it came down in a garden but we didn't know what had happened," he said.

"My daughter said she saw the poor guy covered in blood and he looked in a really bad way. The air ambulance did a great job getting here and it is a valuable resource, especially because the traffic can be gridlocked round here."

A London Ambulance spokeswman said three ambulances and the air ambulance were called to an address in Selcroft Road last Thursday at around 6pm.

She added that a 62-year-old man was treated after a fall from a ladder.

An inquest into Mr Double's death was opened and adjourned at Croydon Coroner's Court on Tuesday.