The family of a man who died after slashing his neck in an accident with a power saw have said they hope others will learn from the tragedy.

Alastair Green, 30, was killed after putting the wrong blade on to an angle grinder to remove a tree stump in his back garden, an inquest at Leicester Town Hall heard yesterday.

Experts said he was using a circular saw blade on the device which did not fit properly.

It was spinning at a "frightening" speed of 100 revolutions a second and which probably resulted in a "massive kick-back" on impact with the wood, the inquest heard.

The hearing was told this may have resulted in Mr Green, of Market Harborough, losing control of the tool.

Assistant deputy coroner Martin Gotheridge said the left hand side of his neck was "totally cut away" in the accident. Joanne Green, his partner of almost two years, had seen him using a chainsaw on the morning of the accident on December 19, 2007.

She had left their home in Crescent Close to take her daughter, Lisa, to nursery, and returned to find him holding his neck, which was pouring with blood, before he fell to the ground.

Despite her attempts to stem the blood flow, the blade had severed his carotid artery and jugular vein, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Ms Green's mother Lorraine Viner said she hoped the tragedy would raise awareness about the dangers of using power tools.

She said: "He's still really, really missed by all of us and the children."

She suggested more stark warnings should be put on power tools to make users aware of their potential dangers.

Ms Viner said: "It would be nice for more advice to be available in places where you can buy this kind of equipment, even if it's just a case of putting up photos of what you should wear.

"That way, hopefully no-one else will die in such a horrific manner."

Ms Viner, 48, from Banbury, Oxforshire, said it was "completely out of character" for Mr Green to use tools without checking they were safe beforehand.

Mr Green, a music teacher, left two children – Kendrick, who is now almost two, and Lisa, now six, Joanne's daughter from a previous relationship. Paying tribute after the inquest, Ms Green, 24, said: "He was kind and loving and a great dad."

She added that her daughter, Lisa, thought of him as her own dad.

Lisa, in her own tribute, said she wanted to tell people how much she missed her dad.

She said: "We take him flowers and always light a candle to remember him."

Giving evidence at the inquest, consultant forensic engineer Jim Rennie said using a circular saw blade on the angle grinder produced "a very dangerous tool."

Mr Green did not wear anything to protect himself from the equipment, the inquiry was told.

Ms Green had previously told the inquest that her partner had complained that the chainsaw was blunt, which could have led to the swap.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Gotheridge said the use of the incorrect blade contravened safety instructions.

He said: "For some reason that we shall never know, he decided to use that circular saw blade rather than the chainsaw."

"Tragically, the kick-back caused the circular blade to cut his neck very severely and cause him the facial injuries.

"Obviously, the lesson to be learned from that is the danger of using a circular saw blade for a purpose for which it was not designed.

"It also shows that even for domestic tasks, when in the garden, it's worth having the protection which the professionals would have."