An inquest into the death of a woman who was hit by a skip lorry suggested confusing signs could have contributed to the incident.

But a hearing at Hertfordshire Coroners Court yesterday also heard that mother-of-six Gail Miller had not looked left or right as she crossed the road in Watford town centre on March 12 last year.

The 59-year-old was knocked down by the lorry on the corner of Market Street and High Street and died of head injuries.

Concluding that Mrs Miller had died as a result of a road traffic collision, Coroner Graham Danbury said neither the driver nor Mrs Miller were aware of each other until it was too late.

The inquest heard Mrs Miller was walking quickly from the intu shopping centre to Barclays Bank in High Street, a journey she made every Monday.

The BBC reported that a witness said he saw Mrs Miller step into the path of the lorry as it turned left into Market Street.

In a statement, lorry driver Aiden Harding said he was driving at about 5mph when he approached the junction.

While turning, his attention was drawn to a lady on the pavement waving her arms and within a fraction of a second he felt he hit something.

The inquest heard there was uncertainty about whether the lorry, which was returning a skip to the shopping centre, should have been on the road.

Det Con Helen Giles, from Hertfordshire Constabulary, said there was an issue over signs indicating the road was a pedestrian zone.

Forensic collision investigator PC Bruce Lister told the court that at first glance the signs had confused him.

He said the signs said "pedestrian zone - no vehicles" before listing exceptions including buses, taxis, blue badge holders and loading goods vehicles.

The coroner recommended that clearer signs should be put in place once the redevelopment of Watford town centre is completed.

In a statement issued after the inquest, Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: "I cannot begin to imagine how difficult the last year must have been for Gail’s family and many friends. My heart goes out to them.

"I know that they have been waiting for the Coroner’s report and it's crucial we now look at the findings carefully to see what action needs to be taken following this tragic incident."