A WOMAN has told of the moment her long-time partner was crushed under tons of scaffolding at a Greek archaeological site.

Richard Bennion and Sheila Jenkins visited the Isle of Santorini on a day trip two years ago and vowed to return for a holiday.

But on September 30 last year, as the Wrexham couple walked through the Cyclade in the Cape archaeological site at Thira Santorini, scaffolding fell and crushed 45-year-old Mr Bennion, a Wrexham inquest heard.

Deputy North East Wales coroner John Gittins said it was 'unfortunate' there was still no report from the Greek authorities about how the collapse happened.

And he said there was unlikely to be one for possibly two years.

Ms Jenkins, of Piercy Avenue, Marchwiel, said she and Mr Bennion had been together for 12 years. He was a welder who worked with an engineering company at Sellafield.

They had planned their holiday in Greece for 12 months, said Ms Jenkins.

They arrived on the island on Tuesday and on Friday decided to visit the archaeological dig - which was a tourist attraction.

Ms Jenkins said they walked into a square which contained two-storey remains covered by scaffolding.

At that point they heard a loud metallic bang.

'There was this clang of metal, like a hammer hitting a metal pole. It frightened me,' said Ms Jenkins.

They decided to take another walk around the site to take a closer look at some of the exhibits.

Ten minutes after hearing the initial bang, the pair were again standing at the same spot - under the scaffolding.

The scaffolding was supporting a new roof which was going to cover the dig.

'I didn't hear anything at first, I just saw the alarm in Richard's eyes, he was a couple of metres away,' she said.

Ms Jenkins was hit by a scaffolding pole which injured her arm.

'We were looking at one another, this roof just came down between us, there was an awful lot of dust,' she told the inquest.

Ms Jenkins managed to get out with help and was given medical treatment.

Mr Gittins said a rudimentary post mortem was carried out in Greece.

Pathologist Dr Roger Williams conducted a second examination after the body was returned to the UK.

He concluded Mr Bennion died of substantial multiple injuries.