The death of a young father found lying on the A26 remains a mystery following an inquest.

Carl Radmore died after being hit by a vehicle on the A26 slip road at Southborough.

The 24-year-old's body was found on the stretch of road, which joins the A21 northbound at Tonbridge, in the early hours of Saturday, August 8.

Tributes poured in to the young father in the days after his death.

Mr Radmore's family hoped their questions would be answered at an inquest held at Gravesend Old Town Hall today, but they are no closer to understanding what happened that night.

A huge police investigation was sparked and officers, who had the details of 109 vehicles which used the major route around the time of the fatal crash, asked any drivers who travelled through the area to come forward.

Senior coroner, Roger Hatch, heard Kent Police identified all 109 vehicles, but could not link any of them to debris found at the scene which police say may have been from the collision.

Forensic collision investigator, Angela Holmes, said a thorough search of the area was carried out after the discovery of Mr Radmore's body.

She told the court evidence showed the young father, who was found to be nearly three times over the legal drink drive limit, was lying on the verge when he was struck by one or more vehicles. He suffered severe head injuries, and would have died instantly.

"Through our investigation we narrowed the time period down to between 1.20am and 1.36am, but despite extensive inquiries, the vehicle, or vehicles, involved in this collision remain outstanding," she added.

The court heard from Daniella Jones who saw a man she believed to be Mr Radmore walking in a lane of the A21, clutching his left side, shortly before midnight on Saturday, August 7.

She was travelling to Tunbridge Wells with friends and swerved to avoid the man, who she said then staggered towards the verge of the road.

She phoned the police to inform them of what she had seen, but continued with her journey.

Mr Radmore's body was later discovered by a lorry driver travelling along the road. He stopped his vehicle further along the carriageway and walked back to the scene before phoning police.

Miss Holmes told the court shadowing on the carriageway, Mr Radmore's dark clothing and the position he was lying in the road would have made it extremely difficult for passing drivers to spot him.

Members of Mr Radmore's family expressed feelings of disbelief and questioned how a driver would not feel the impact of a collision.

"After speaking to the pathologist we both agreed Carl had more than likely been struck by a heavy goods vehicle.

"It is not like driving a car when you go over a speed bump you feel everything, it is possible that someone could run over a body in such a vehicle and not know or feel it," Miss Holmes said.

The court was told there were several tyre marks across the section of carriageway, but these were not linked to the investigation.

The coroner concluded Mr Radmore's death was an accident.

"We do not have any closure and it's heartbreaking. "We are such a close family and this has brought us even closer together but ripped us apart at the same time" - Anne Radmore

Speaking after the inquest Carl's mother, Anne, said: "We still don't have the answers we wanted. We just want someone to come forward, we believe someone knows something.

"We do not have any closure and it's heartbreaking. "We are such a close family and this has brought us even closer together but ripped us apart at the same time.

"We feel like we can't celebrate Christmas, it is the first one without Carl. On Christmas Day we will go to his grave and spend some time with him.

"I've now got some locks of his hair in a box which I will keep with me. That's all I have left of my son.

"We have no problems with the police, they tried their absolute best and did everything they could to try and find out what happened. But we will never know."