A car which likely struck and killed a Canterbury student on the A2 has never been traced despite being captured on CCTV, an inquest has been told.

The body of 22-year-old Ibrahim Sheikh was discovered in the coastbound carriageway at Harbledown in the early hours of September 26 last year.

But accident investigators revealed at a hearing yesterday that they have not been able to track down the vehicle which hit the University of Kent sociology student at about 2am.

Police Sgt Jason Heather said CCTV from the nearby BP service station revealed just two vehicles had passed in the direction of Canterbury between the time Mr Sheikh left the garage and his body was found.

One was a lorry which the officer said had been traced and the driver arrested. A forensic examination revealed it had not been involved in the collision and the driver was not charged.

Footage of the second vehicle - believed to be a car - was so poor that officers were unable to establish its make or registration. It has never been traced.

PC Andrew Waghorn told the inquest he believed Mr Sheikh had been walking in the middle of the road when he was hit by the second vehicle, He said no driver would have reasonably expected to have come across a pedestrian in such circumstances.

Mr Sheikh, who was known to have alcohol and drug issues, had taken a taxi to the Holiday Inn Express Hotel, about 100 yards from where his body was found.

The driver said he appeared vague and was on his mobile phone a lot.

He bought a bottle of vodka at the BP garage and was observed drinking at the Holiday Inn. The bottle was later found broken near the spot he was struck.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Sheikh did not have any alcohol in his system but had probably smoked cannabis recently. The cause of death was given as multiple injuries, consistent with being hit by a vehicle.

"We know he was heading in the direction of the university and likely going back to his halls of residence. But what possessed him to walk in the middle of the carriageway, we will never know..." - coroner Alan Blunsdon

The officer told coroner Alan Blunsdon that the case had now been closed unless any new evidence came to light.

Mr Blunsdon said that Mr Sheikh had only arrived to study in Canterbury from his home in Leicester a few weeks before his death.

He had a long history of mental health issues and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He had previously self harmed and been referred to local mental health services.

But mental health nurse David Bhebe, who had been his case manager for several years, said he did not consider him suicidal and believed he was optimistic about making a new start in Kent.

Mr Blunsdon said the evidence fell far short from ruling that Mr Sheikh had taken his own life and recorded his death as being the result of a road traffic accident.

He added: "We know he was heading in the direction of the university and likely going back to his halls of residence.

"But what possessed him to walk in the middle of the carriageway, we will never know."

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