A man found dead in the River Medway was three times the legal drink-drive limit - despite saying only weeks earlier that alcohol and boats did not mix.

The body of David Leavey was found on January 20, six weeks after he was last seen alive.

It is thought he may have fallen in the river and drowned trying to reach his friend’s boat, an inquest into his death heard.

Mr Leavey told his cousin he had been spending a lot of time on his friend Steven Majewski’s boat, the Sir Thomas Pudding.

He said: “I haven’t fallen overboard yet but been close a few times – drink and boats don’t mix.”

CCTV images showed Mr Leavey crossing Strood railway station car park just before 8pm on December 12, 2014. This was the last time he was seen alive.

"I haven't fallen overboard yet but been close a few times – drink and boats don’t mix..." - David Leavey just weeks before his death

Six weeks later, his body was found near the Pelican Cruising Club, behind Morrisons supermarket in Knight Road.

Coroner Patricia Harding heard how the 37-year-old had started drinking heavily a few years ago after a relationship ended, but had never shown any signs of being suicidal.

Mr Leavey, of Frindsbury Road, Strood, was unemployed when he died but had worked in manual labour most of his life.

He spent a lot of time at Caring Hands in New Road, Chatham, a Christian outreach project for people affected by homelessness and substance addiction.

Statements read to the court from his friends Steven Jones and Richard Smith said Mr Leavey sometimes drank up to nine litres of cider a day.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was immersion and concluded he had been in the water for at least four weeks.

There were no injuries or signs of third-party involvement.

His blood alcohol level was 223 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal drink-drive limit is 80.

Summing up, Mrs Harding said: “It’s probable that David Leavey died on or around December 12.

“All the evidence available in this case leans towards David having fallen in the river and having drowned whilst trying to access his friend’s boat, but there are no eyewitnesses.”

Without any evidence to show how he ended up in the river, Mrs Harding recorded an open verdict.