An inquest has opened into the death of a man who died after falling onto the carriageway near the Dartford Crossing.

Police were called to the A282, on the Kent side of the carriageway, on January 6.

Traffic was brought to a standstill for hours on the Dartford Bridge and the M25 was shut southbound between Junctions 30 and 2 following concerns for a person’s welfare.

Emergency services attended the incident shortly after 1.30pm and a man was later confirmed dead at the scene.

An inquest was opened into the 39-year-old’s death yesterday at Oakwood House in Maidstone.

It heard Grzegorz Sierkowski, of Hart Place, Maidstone, died on the A282 Canterbury Way in Dartford on January 6.

He was an unemployed Polish man and died from multiple traumatic injuries, the court heard.

A full inquest will take place at the same venue in Maidstone on June 20.