A FOUR-year-old boy died when he was electrocuted by a modified desk lamp in a caravan where he kept his toys, an inquest heard.

Oliver Walker was found by his mother grasping the black desk lamp on the floor of a caravan his family were using while their farmhouse home at Laycock was being renovated.

The “bright young boy” who loved tractors lived on the farm with his parents Charlotte and Andrew Walker and his younger sister.

His mother started CPR on little Oliver on top of a bail of hay while his uncle Ben Walker frantically dialled 999 on March 13 last year.

Oliver was rushed to Airedale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His cause of death was electrocution.

Coroner Martin Fleming said Oliver had been found in the “most distressing circumstances imaginable”.

The desk lamp – which had never been seen by his family before – had been modified so it could be used with a 12v supply by-passing a transformer in the base.

However, the mains electricity supplied to the caravan was 240v – the usual voltage for household sockets – and the chrome rods connecting the base to the bulb had conducted the electricity once plugged in, Bradford Coroners’ Court heard.

An RCD device used to trip the electricity if there was a fault was not working.

A “competent amateur” was believed to have carried out the modification.

Coroner Martin Fleming said: “We don’t know the individual who has done that or the reason.

“No mother or father should have to find their little boy in these circumstances.”

The family was carrying out building work on the farm at the time of the accident and had purchased two caravans in December 2017 – one for temporary living and the other to use as a “utility”.

Oliver’s ‘outside toys’ were kept in the caravan, the hearing was told.

After being picked up from school by his father, Oliver had gone to the caravan to play.

Describing the moment Charlotte had discovered Oliver in a statement read to the court by coroner’s official Bernard Tate, she said she originally thought he was “playing about”.

When she realised what had happened, Charlotte said: “I started screaming for Ben [Oliver’s uncle].

“Ben called 999 and I started CPR. I carried on until the paramedics took over.

“The lamp, I had never seen it before.

“The only thing I can think of is the lamp came with the caravan.”

Following the tragic death, West Yorkshire Police conducted a joint investigation with the health and safety executive, the hearing was told.

The original owner of the caravan was found to be John Marsh, who admitted to police he owned the lamp but had no knowledge of purchasing it or making any modifications to it.

He sold the caravan – which originally had no electricity supply – as scrap to Wainman’s Dealers in Silsden, who then sold it to the Walker family in December 2017, the inquest heard.

Giving evidence at the hearing in person, Mr Marsh said: “I had no idea there was a potentially fatal lamp in there.”

In a statement read to the court, Frank Wainman said it was standard for all caravans to be cleared of any items before being sold.

West Yorkshire Police excluded any third party involvement or individual who could be identified.

Principal electrical specialist Andrew Seager described the lamp to the inquest as having a black plastic base with two vertical rods to the bulb.

He said the reasoning for the modifications of the lamp was unclear.

The specialist also told the hearing an RCD – a device which usually triggers the supply to ‘trip’ if any faults are found – had “seized” and was not working correctly at the time of the accident.

The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion.

Addressing the family directly, he said: “He was such a much-loved son, brother and nephew.

“He was a lot of things to a lot of people.

“Oliver was a bright little boy with intelligence beyond his years.

“It continues to leave a massive void in all of your lives.”

The coroner offered his condolences to the family and advised the public to check all old electronic appliances.

In a statement, the family said: "No amount of time will ever heal the pain that we feel after losing our beautiful little boy – nothing can ever prepare any parent for a loss of a child. Oliver will live on in our hearts forever."