A ‘well loved’ son and brother died after falling and hitting his head after a day out celebrating getting a new job.

Alexander Murray had been out meeting friends and visiting pubs in Blackburn on October 1 before being seen heading back to his home in the early hours, where he died as a result of a tragic accident.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Alex’s sister Vanessa Murray said: “He was so loved by everyone. He was such a big part of Blackburn.”

Following his death, Vanessa set up a fundraiser for her brother on GoFundMe which raised more than £7,000.

The Moorgate Arms and the Fox and Hound pubs both held fundraisers in his memory to help the family with funeral costs.

An inquest, on Thursday (March 16) at Blackburn Town Hall, heard how the following morning, Alex’s mother found him lying outside his home in Preston New Road.

Sgt Chris Birch was one of the first officers on the scene and said Alex was about one foot away from the side door, faced down with his feet facing the door.

Sgt Birch said it was possible Alex could have tripped or fallen and he was confident there was no third-party involvement.

The day before he was found, Alex and a friend went to the Fernhurst pub in Bolton Road at about 10am before heading to other pubs in the town.

He was last seen at the Moorgate in Livesey Branch Road at about 1am getting into a taxi with two girls.

It was believed they were heading to the Bees's Knees, but they never arrived.

At about 2.40am, CCTV from a neighbour's house picked up Alex on his own walking unsteadily down the path to his side door.

He came back to the front door and headed back to the side again. He was not seen again after this.

A post mortem examination found Alex had a sub-cranial haemorrhage and a fractured eye socket.

Toxicology reports found Alex was about 2.25 times the drink drive limit and had used cocaine in the lead up to his death, but neither of these were at fatal levels.

Neither the post-mortem or the toxicology reports gave a definitive cause of death however Coroner Sian Jones said it was more likely than not Alex had tripped or fallen, which was potentially as a result of his intoxication.

She believed the fall was the cause of the haemorrhage which she decided was more likely than not to be the cause of death.

Sgt Birch said Alex also had moss and dirt on his hands, consistent with a fall.

There was also a pool of blood under him which showed he had not moved.

Ms Jones said: “He was obviously a well-loved brother and son and had a lot of friends and others who enjoyed his company.”

Coroner Sian Jones returned a conclusion of accidental death.