A retired driver died of hypothermia after falling over on the way home from a night out with a friend on Boxing Day.

An inquest which concluded this week heard that Kenneth Deans, aged 68, was found unresponsive near his home at Unity Brook Farm in Kearsley on December 26 last year.

Originally from Salford, Mr Deans had been separated from his wife for several years.

He had gone to the Unity Brook pub to celebrate the anniversary of his parents’ wedding on the night of the tragedy.

Coroner Professor Dr Alan Walsh said: “He tended to celebrate his parents’ wedding anniversary each year and it was during the course of those celebrations that he consumed a quantity of alcohol and was taken home by a friend.”

He added: “I find it extremely sad, given that he had lived on that farm for five or six years and he couldn’t have foreseen what would have happened.”

The inquest heard how Mr Deans had been dropped off by his friend at the gate of the farm before trying to make his way back to the static caravan he was living in.

CCTV footage showed that he stumbled several times before falling to the ground.

He was found the next day, “soaked and cold” according to Professor Walsh.

A police investigation carried out by Detective Constable Matthew Quail of Greater Manchester Police searched Mr Deans’ body and his caravan and were able to rule out third party involvement or any other suspicious circumstances.

A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Zainab Al-Debusi at Royal Bolton Hospital found that there was no evidence of injuries apart from bruises on Mr Deans’ knees and cuts on his shins.

But his body had been “soaked through” on arrival and he had a raised blood alcohol level after celebrating with his friend which has affected his co-ordination and raised the risk of hypothermia.

Professor Walsh ruled that Mr Deans’ death was accidental and caused by hypothermia after he stumbled and fell.

He concluded the inquest by passing his condolences to Mr Deans’ family.