A competitive teenager caused his own death when he jumped in front of his best friend's gun during a pigeon shoot, an inquest heard yesterday.

Alex Bailey, 18, ran in front of Charles Page's gun after the latter called 'my bird' during the shoot at a barley field in Southease, East Sussex last July.

Six foot 4 Bailey, who had been drinking, died instantly when a pellet entered his head.

Tragic: Alex Bailey, 18, caused his own death when he leaped in front of his friend's gun

Bailey, Page and a third friend Carl Hammond were laying in the wait to kill birds in a wooden hide prior to the tragedy.

When Page spotted a bird he called it as his own, but Bailey muscled in on the shot and replied: 'No, bull,' before stepping straight into the line of fire.

Bailey fell onto Hammond's lap and the two boys called for help, but it was already too late.

Distraught: Charles Page, pictured at Eastbourne Coroners Court yesterday, accidentally shot Alex Bailey after his friend jumped in front of his gun

Speaking at the inquest at Eastbourne Coroners Court on Tuesday, Hammond said: 'We thought he was joking, then we asked him if he was alright.

'When police arrived Charles said : "I'm going to prison! I've killed my best mate, how can I live with that? It should be me dead instead of him."'

The inquest heard that a post mortem examination showed Bailey was one-and-half times the drink driving limit - but Page and Hammond said they hadn't been drinking and didn't think Alex was acting drunk.

Bailey's accountant dad, Andrew Bailey, 50, told the inquest: 'He was a practical lad, very strong-willed but very caring. He was a bit of a gentle giant.'

Mr Bailey said his son never showed off with his guns and believed he was very sensible and careful with firearms. He had held a gun licence for a year.

Hammond, 18, and Page, both from Ringmer, said Bailey had a competitive and cocky nature.

Hammond said: "He was always trying to prove himself better than anyone else."

The trio were decoy shooting - using plastic birds to lure pigeons into their line of fire - on the day of the tragedy.

Hammond said the usual practice was that one person would call a shot, by saying 'My bird!' others would stand aside while the shot was taken, then it would be someone else's go.

Shooting expert Richard Whitely told the inquest Page should never have been standing behind his two mates, and anyone on a shoot must stand level with other people using guns. He described the death as a tragic accident.

Around 5pm on the day in question, the threesome, who had been shooting for less than 30 minutes agreed Hammond would shoot first, then Bailey followed by Page. But when it was Page's turn Bailey apparently ignored shooting protocol.

Page was aiming approximately 20 yards in the air at a bird and pulled the trigger before realising his best mate was at the wrong end of the barrel.

Coroner Alan Craze returned a verdict of misadventure, at Eastbourne Coroners Court.

He said: 'This afternoon has made it abundantly clear that there is no question of any criminal negligence in this death. He didn't intentionally put himself in the line of fire.

'From Charles Page's point of view this was an accident, but from Alex Bailey's point of view I must give a verdict of misadventure.'

Speaking about shooting safety, he added: 'They must follow very very strict rules which are clearly understood beforehand and are adhered to by everyone.

'Alcohol and guns do not mix. I don't need to say anything more than that.

'This was a most tragic and distressing case, especially for Mr and Mrs Bailey.'

Outside the hearing, Bailey's father refused to comment.

His son, who lived with his parents in Kingston, East Sussex, was planning to carry on studying business at college in September.

Reckless: The coroner found Alex Bailey, who had had a gun licence for a year, had been drinking