The jury at an inquest into the death of a homeless alcoholic man has returned a 'misadventure' verdict.

Eric Hughes, locally nicknamed Eric the Viking, was found dead by a bench outside public toilets at New Rents in Ashford town centre on the morning of November 9, 2007.

The three-day inquest into his death ended on Wednesday afternoon with the jury of four women and seven men returning the misadventure verdict.

The jury took more than three hours to reach their decision at Dover magistrates court.

The inquest heard that Mr Hughes' death had been caused by hypothermia and alcohol intoxication and chronic alcoholism.

Mr Hughes was part of a trio of homeless drinkers known as ‘the three amigos’.

CCTV staff would give them cups of tea and sometimes money for food until managers told them not to, fearing for their safety.

But Shirley Cunningham, one of the CCTV operators, told the inquest they always felt completely safe talking to the men.

She said: “They were kind and gentle and not even aggressive when drunk.”

The night before Mr Hughes was found dead Andrew Hollinson, owner of the nearby Undecided bar, had voiced his concerns to the CCTV monitors.

Mr Hamilton told them: “I think he’s going to be dead in the morning by the way he’s shaking.”

The inquest at Dover heard that Mr Hughes, 52, had died of hypothermia due to alcohol intoxication.

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