Questions still surround the tragic passing of Pat Lamb after a coroner said she could not be certain his death was an accident and recorded an open conclusion.

The 28-year-old disappeared in the early hours of Saturday, December 13, while on a night out to commemorate the life of his friend Rob Butler at Bar Chocolate, off High Street, Maidstone.

His body was discovered at Cuxton Marina on Saturday, January 10, following an intensive month-long search.

The inquest at Archbishop's Palace this morning heard how Pat Lamb left work in London at 5.30pm on Friday, December 12, and travelled to the Grange Moor Hotel, off Tonbridge Road, where he met his friends Kieran Ridley and Henry Durban-Haskins just after 7pm.

They begun drinking and over around an hour and a half Mr Lamb drunk a third of a bottle of port, a bottle of WKD and a can of cider before heading into the town centre.

They then drunk at Muggleton Inn, in High Street, and The Brenchley, in Jubilee Square, where he became emotional about Mr Butler for about 15 minutes.

The trio received free drinks vouches for Bar Chocolate, in Market Buildings, where they headed and Mr Lamb had six jagerbombs before leaving at around 11.30pm shortly after posing for a picture.

Mr Lamb was seen entering The Old House at Home pub, on Pudding Lane, where witnesses reported him stumbling into DJ equipment before being asked to leave.

Richard Neville and Stuart Hopwood were the last people to see Mr Lamb alive.

They both reported their sightings after seeing stories on Kent Online and told police Mr Lamb appeared heavily intoxicated while walking towards the River Medway by Fairmeadow.

Mr Hopwood, who was himself walking back from a nightclub towards the Travel Lodge, said he could see a figure matching the 5ft 8in broadcast engineer's description shouting and acting erratically beside the water.

Coroner Patricia Harding also heard how Mr Lamb had been emotional for a short period of the evening while talking about his friend Mr Butler, however she could not say with certainty if this is what caused his reported anger.

Mr Neville, who saw Mr Lamb taking steps down to the river, said he was swaying and gripping a railing and added he would have stopped to help if he could have done safely.

The inquest initially opened around a week after Mr Lamb's body was found and gave the cause of death as immersion, meaning he could have drowned or suffered a cardiac arrest due to shock brought on by entering cold water.

Today coroner Patricia Harding heard Mr Lamb, who lived in London Road, Greenhithe, had 203 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood — enough to make him pass out and almost three times the drink drive limit.

This was recorded by pathologist Dr David Rouse as a factor which contributed to his death.

Speaking after the verdict Mr Lamb's father Tony said the past few months had been harrowing.

He added: "People go out and drink for all sorts of reasons and these days it's suicidal drinking. Young people have no real knowledge of what they are doing to their systems and that is a real problem. Kids go out to get smashed without thinking about their parents."

Sharon Lamb added: "People can enjoy themselves without drinking. Instead of going out and drinking why don't you go out and have a coffee with friends."

The mother of five added Pat's death had made her think about her other children on nights out a lot more.

She said: "I'll miss his cheeky smile. He was always so happy. I have the pictures of him and I'll always look at them.

"I'd like to thank the public for what they have done. Without them we would not have coped."

---

Stories you might have missed

Body of man in his 40s found in home

Shopper's knife threat in front of young girls

Three taken to hospital after smash

Jury retires in school sex abuse trial

---

Today's KMTV daily video bulletin

---