A teenager whose body was found in the water at a beach took his own life following a lengthy battle with depression, a coroner has ruled.

Madalin Nicola Mera, 19, came to England from Romania in July of this year and started work as a cleaner.

But following a few weeks of living with his partner in Alma Road, the teenager’s behaviour began to become “extremely confused”.

On the evening of September 8, he did not arrive home.

The alarm was raised after a message reading “I have decided to die” was found on his phone - which he had left at home.

An inquest held last week at Canterbury Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Mera’s body was later found on Westgate beach

Assistant Coroner Ian Goldup concluded the cause of death as drowning.