A POSTMAN drowned after a night out in Colchester, an inquest heard.

Luke Harding, 21, from Ferndale Close, Clacton was discovered face down in the River Colne two days after being reported missing.

At Friday’s inquest the court heard he had been spotted acting erratically on CCTV shortly before his death.

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict.

Mr Harding, who worked for Royal Mail in Colchester, had been on a night out in Colchester on Saturday, June 27.

His body was found in the river by Riverside Walk, opposite Wells Road, on Tuesday, June 30 following a massive search by police, family and friends.

A post mortem examination confirmed he had drowned.

Insp Danielle Booth, from Essex Police, tried to fill in the gap for the coroner, his parents Michael and Carol, brother Paul and a group of friends from the witness stand.

She said: “He was ejected from Yates’s.

“I believe this was because of his level of intoxication.”

A toxicology report gave a reading of 168 milligrams in 100 millilitres of breath, just over twice the legal drink drive limit.

“There were many phone calls with friends.

“Luke believed he was being chased or due to be attacked in Colchester.

“There was no evidence to suggest that was the case.”

During the early hours of Sunday, June 28, he entered the 24 hour gym on Queen Street and spent about 30 minutes inside.

Insp Booth said: “His behaviour was erratic.

“He has removed his top and that has been recovered from police from within the premises.”

His movements were tracked on CCTV until the Priory Street car park.

He was then seen running away.

At 1.21am his phone cut out.

Insp Booth said: “I believe that is likely to be when Luke entered the water.”

There were no witnesses but the police do not believe his death was suspicious.

After he did not turn up to meet friends to get a taxi back to Colchester, and still had not been seen or heard from by Sunday afternoon, his family called police.

They classed him as a medium risk missing person and then raised this to high risk and searches were launched before he was found on the Tuesday.

Mrs Beasley-Murray ruled she could not be sure what happened so had to record an open verdict.

She said: “We will never know.

“You have desperately, as family and friends, tried to piece it together but we just don’t know.

“He was clearly a much loved young man.”

His father Michael, speaking after the inquest, said: “It helps a lot to know how many friends he had and for his friends to turn up today.

“He was a good boy and never got in trouble.

“He got into weightlifting in the last year and loved his job.

“We just don’t know what happened.”