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Ayan Mohamed of Feltham in London found dead near Langdon Cliffs in Dover

Nobody knows why a young woman was found drowned at the bottom of a cliff more than 100 miles from her home.

Ayan Mohamed, 23, had left her home in Feltham, West London, to buy shoes in the capital for a job interview.

The next day walkers found her body at Crab Bay at the bottom of the White Cliffs of Dover at Langdon.

The inquest was at the.Archbishop’s Palace at Maidstone. Picture: Andy Jones
The inquest was at the.Archbishop’s Palace at Maidstone. Picture: Andy Jones

Sonia Hayes, assistant coroner for Central and South East Kent, gave an open conclusion at the inquest in Maidstone today.

There was no evidence of suicide and a third party attack were ruled out but she said: "There is no explanation as to why she came to Dover and we can't ascertain why she entered the water.

"I hope her family can take comfort that Ayan was not harmed by any third person and there is no evidence that she took her own life."

Miss Mohamed was part of the Islamic faith, which forbids suicide.

She was part of a family of seven children who came from Mogadishu in Somalia in 2000 to escape war there.

"I hope her family can take comfort that Ayan was not harmed by any third person and there is no evidence that she took her own life..." Sonia Hayes, assistant coroner

She was last seen alive at her home at 7.45am on Tuesday, August 14, last year saying she was going to buy shoes.

When she did not return her family reported her missing to the Metropolitan Police in Hounslow.

There had been a terrorist attack in London that morning and her family feared there may have been a reprisal assault on her. She would wear a hijab when she went out.

Checks on Ms Mohamed's mobile phone signalling showed that she was already in Dover at 3pm that day.

She was found dead the next day, August 15, by walkers at Langdon Cliffs.

She was found at Langdon Hole
She was found at Langdon Hole

Kent Police were called at 3.50pm. The body was unreachable so the RNLI and coastguards had to be called to recover it.

Det Sgt Chris Bull told the hearing, at the Archbishop's Palace, that it was at first not known who the victim at Crab Bay was.

It took four months to match the identity of the body with that of the missing Miss Mohamed.

Meanwhile, DS Bull said, police also had to check whether or not this was the death of a migrant who had just tried to cross the Channel.

There have been regular incidents of migrants trying to reach Britain by small craft which led to the prime minister declaring it a "major incident".

Toxicology tests showed that there were no substances in Miss Mohamed.

"There is no explanation as to why she came to Dover and we can't ascertain why she entered the water..." Sonia Hayes, assistant coroner

Following a post mortem examination, cause of death was classed as drowning.

It is believed that Miss Mohamed had entered the water at sea level rather than from a cliff top.

Surface injuries found on her were believed to be sustained post-death, from batterings from the tide and waves.

Background medical reports showed that Miss Mohamed barely needed to see her GP.

Her family said that she had the mildest mental health issues such as an obsession with cleanliness.

The terror incident referred to in the inquest was of a car that struck three pedestrians near the Palace of Westminster just before 7.40am on August 15 last year.

The injuries were non-fatal but prosecutors treated the incident as an act of terror and the suspect is due to stand trial next month.

To read in depth coverage of inquests across Kent click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Dover

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