THE circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was found in a Hampshire river remain a mystery.

As previously reported by the Echo in September, retired electrician Leslie Giles may have fallen in and not be able to get out.

His body was found floating in Curbridge Creek near the Horse and Jockey pub by coach driver Anthony Steel, as he took pictures while the school trip he was accompanying had lunch.

“I noticed a dark bump in the water I moved further down the pontoon and it appeared to be a body,I went and got the pub owner who came and confirmed what it was.” he said.

Mr Giles, 72, suffered from an aggressive form psoriasis which inflamed his joints and made moving painful.

His brother John Giles said Mr Giles had become reclusive, and rarely left the house after returning from a brief stay in a retirement home because he was finding it hard to cope.

Mr Giles said that although his brother, of Glebe Road, had spoken about ending his own life in the past, he believed his brother’s death was an accident.

He said: “I spoke to him the night before and he seemed to be well and in reasonable spirits”

Upon retrieving the retired electrician’s body, police conducted a search of Mr Giles’ home in Glebe Road but found no evidence that he intended to end his life.

Pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri, who conducted the port mortem said: “He suffered from arthritis and walked with a stick. It is possible that he fell in the water and was unable to get out. The fact that he was found face down supports the theory that his death was due to drowning.”

A toxicology report revealed that Mr Giles was sober at the time of his death.

Senior Coroner Grahame Short said: “He died as a result of drowning a reason for which cannot be determined.”

After the inquest his family paid tribute.

In a statement they said: “He was a great man, a loving brother.

“We miss him very much.”