An armed robber who died after he was restrained by customers during a botched raid on a bookmakers was held face down, an inquest heard.
Alan Levers, 50, was wearing a gas mask and carrying an imitation gun when he burst into the Ladbrokes branch in Plymouth, Devon.
He was confronted by three customers who held him down while police were called but he died at the scene.
An inquest which was opened into his death on Thursday was told a post-mortem examination had yet to establish a cause of death.
But police inspector Steve Brownlow told the inquest unemployed Levers, of Plymouth, was held with his face to the floor.
He said: “He was restrained and disarmed by three members of the public. He was held face down on the floor.”
Inspector Brownlow also said police officers later handcuffed and arrested Levers while he was on the floor but noticed he was not moving.
He told the inquest: “They removed the mask and commenced CPR. Paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The time of death was confirmed as 7.37pm on January 25 and Levers’ body was identified the following day by his girlfriend, the inquest in Plymouth heard.
Police praised “brave” members of the public after the incident, saying those who restrained Levers would not have known if the gun was a fake.
The incident had been voluntarily referred to the police watchdog and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Coroner Ian Arrow adjourned the hearing for a later date.
