A man whose decapitated body was discovered in the sea has been described as a “hippy” with “the kindest soul”.

Rasmus Weinhardt, of Clanwilliam Road, Deal, was pulled from the water last Monday after it is believed he jumped from the pier.

An inquest into the 61-year-old’s death was opened at Aberdeen House in Ramsgate on Friday.

Pathologist Dr Bagla gave the cause of death as decapitation and hanging.

Samuel Moore, from Dover, has paid tribute to his “dear friend” whom he met in 2005 working at a tomato pack house in Ash.

Mr Moore said: “Raz was a hippy and the most confident man. He didn’t care how people took him.

“From the day I met him we were friends.

“He took an anxious, scared little boy and showed him how to be a proud man.

“He never had his head down and was always smiling. He found beauty in everything and was such an influence.

“We’d spend hours talking about everything from the Smurfs to Game of Thrones.

“There aren’t enough words. The stories he told me and the life he lived: Teacher. Guru. Kindest soul. Friend.”

Originally from Essen, Germany, it is understood Mr Weinhardt was a factory worker who had moved to England in 2000.

When asked by Mr Moore a little while ago if he would go back to Germany, his words were, “I’m too English now.”

He never married nor did he have children but children loved him, said Mr Moore.

He worked in care for a short while, giving young people a passion for cooking.

"He was always smiling...he found beauty in everything and was such an influence" - Samuel Moore

Towards the end of 2016, he secured a job with produce company Gomez. He had applied for some translator work but was unsuccessful.

In recent years he became interested in the history of the Vikings.

Mr Moore said: “He got into Vikings a few years ago. He read a lot of the mythology and ways of living. You could ask him about any part of the culture and he could tell you.

“He was also inspired a lot by Hindu culture. He identified as a Hindu, from the Shiva-atra.

“Mostly he would just say he was a free-thinking hippy.”

Mr Weinhardt had also started writing a book.

Mr Moore added: “From what he told me it was going to be something really amazing.”