A tree surgeon who quit his office job to pursue his dream career died when he accidentally cut through his own safety rope, an inquest heard.

Daniel Edwards plummeted 40 feet from a monkey puzzle tree after cutting through the rope as he pruned it, the inquest was told.

He was part of a team of four working on the towering tree and had set up his own harness and rope before climbing to the top.

As he cut away dead branches from the tree, the 29-year-old slipped and sliced through the safety rope, screaming as he fell to his death.