Man died after going into the River Severn in Shrewsbury

An inquest heard yesterday that Robert Bartlett's body was recovered from the river opposite the Pengwern Boat Club on March 19.

Mr Bartlett, 28, had been missing since February 19 just days after he had returned home to live with his brother in the Welshpool area from Putney, London, where he had been living with a girlfriend until their relationship broke down.

Mr Bartlett's father, John, was the last person to see Robert on the night of February 19 before he went missing.

In a statement read out at the hearing in Shrewsbury, John Bartlett said: "Living in London was not doing him any good. He had a cup of tea and looked in a dreadful state and was not looking after himself. He said he had done terrible things in the past but did not say what they were."

Robert Bartlett had been staying with his brother, Tom, in Middletown, near Welshpool, but left to go to his dad's house as he felt he was getting in the way, the inquest heard. John Bartlett said just hours before he had gone missing Robert had talked about suicides the family had experienced in the past.

"I tried to change the conversation to something more positive," he said. "I wish I could have done more to help him."

John Bartlett believed that when his son left his house at about 9.30pm he was returning to his brother's house, but Robert was next seen in Shrewsbury on CCTV.

PC Ray Foster, the investigating officer for West Mercia Police, said Robert's disappearance was reported on February 18 and his van was found in the Victoria Quay area.

"We tried to cover as much CCTV as we were able to," he said. "The CCTV from the Sabrina Boat showed at 11.15pm on February 17 a vehicle come down Victoria Quay and go out of camera shot. Then a person walks up to the junction at the Welsh Bridge and turns left onto the bridge. Then he goes back towards the quarry before returning to the bridge again. The last sighting was at 11.26pm. There is no recording of him around the Frankwell area."

A pathologist's report found Robert had died after immersion in water and a toxicology report found there was no drugs and little or no alcohol in his blood.

John Ellery, coroner for mid and north Shropshire, said: "Robert Bartlett died in the River Severn, he was last seen at 11.26pm. I suspect he died in the early hours of February 18. There is not enough evidence to say it was suicide or an accident. The only verdict I can return is that he died having entered the river in unknown circumstances, I can't say more than that and if I did I would be speculating."