THE tragic death of a 10-year-old boy - who was crushed by a tumbling shop barrier four times heavier than him - was an accident, a jury concluded today (Tuesday, March 10).

Kaden Reddick was spotted swinging on the queue barrier just minutes before it toppled on top of him, hitting him in the face and fatally injuring him at a branch of Topshop on February 13, 2017.

READ ALSO: Family tribute to 10-year-old who died in Topshop 'accident'

The jury of eight men and three women decided today that although the 180 kgs queue barrier was "inadequately fastened," the considered conclusion was accidental death.

Schoolboy Kaden had been to watch the PG film "Sing" at the Vue cinema in Reading with his mother, grandmother and siblings before they decided to go shopping, starting in Topshop in the town's Oracle Centre.

The store is part of Sir Philip Green's former Arcadia Group.

During the 10-day inquest, the jury heard how the boy, who was born in Truro, Cornwall, was seen running around the popular clothing store in the Oracle with his sister, before they began squabbling about sweets.

His mother Lisa Mallet said: "I remember my daughter picking up some coconut mushroom sweets from one of the barriers. Kaden said ‘she has some sweets, I want some’ and I remember saying 'you have just been to the cinema.’

READ ALSO: Reading Coroner's Office opens inquest into death of Kaden Reddick who died in Topshop.

"One of the reasons we went shopping was because Kaden had a pre-paid card.

"Kaden said something about going to buy poptarts with his card because he wanted to take part in the poptart challenge.

"Then I heard a smack and Kaden was on the floor with the barrier on top of him."

Minutes after the sweets argument, there had been a loud bang as the white ceramic queue barrier toppled over landed on top of Kaden.

Paramedics rushed in and whisked the boy by ambulance to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. However, tragically, at 5.18pm Kaden was declared dead.

A post mortem examination by pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer confirmed the child had suffered a "complete fracture of his skull and facial bones" following the fall.

Berkshire Assistant Coroner Alison McCormick heard that Kaden was killed by a traumatic head injury.

The primary school pupil, of Beech close, Burghfield, near Reading, was praised by his mother in an emotional tribute which she read to the jury.

For the full tribute click here

Despite hearing evidence of how just a week before, on February 7, 2017, a similar accident took place in Topshop in the Silverburn shopping centre, Glasgow, where a 10-year-old girl fractured her skull after a queue barrier fell on her - the jury today concluded a verdict of "accidental death."