A COMBINATION of bad weather conditions, taking a short cut along the river bank and the consumption of a large amount of alcohol led to the death of missing wedding guest Keith Munton, an inquest heard.

East Lancashire coroner David Smith recorded an open verdict after hearing all the evidence and said although it is clear Keith walked home instead of getting a taxi and no foul play was involved, it was impossible to say exactly what happened.

Home office pathologist Charles Wilson gave the cause of death as drowning and said Keith had so much alcohol in his blood he would have been almost three times over the driving limit.

He said: "Even if someone not intoxicated had stumbled down the river bank, he would have had considerable difficulty getting out."

Keith, 56, of Birtwistle Avenue, Colne, was found by the police lodged against a tree, half into Pendle Water, on June 15 -- 12 days after he was last seen.

His daughter, Ingrid Beston, of Harrison Drive, Colne, dropped him off at the Bay Horse pub on June 3 and was aware that he was going to the wedding reception of a work colleague from Fort Vale Engineering, Nelson, later that day at the Fence Gate Inn.

At the opening of the inquest, on June 20, she said she had expected to see him the following day and had gone round to visit him on his birthday on June 5 but he was not at home.

A work colleague and fellow wedding guest, Lee Smith, told the inquest that Keith had asked him how he was getting home from the Fence Gate after the party.

Mr Smith told Keith there were four of them already getting a taxi and he saw Keith for the last time in the toilets at 11pm.

A man was spotted staggering along the A6068 by-pass from Padiham to Barrowford, near Cuckstool Lane, by two motorists at around 1.30am, walking in heavy rain without a coat.

A massive police search was carried out after his disappearance and Keith's body was found by PC Stephen Halstead, who is based in Nelson.

He told the inquest: "The path is about 15 feet away from the river bank and the body was at the base of a tree down the 10ft drop.

"The water level was exceptionally high and it would have been pitch black. It would have been quite easy to stray from the path."

Chief Inspector Simon Leach, who led the operation, described the night of his death as "the worst night of weather of the summer".

He said: "The by-pass was two to three inches under water and Pendle Water was as high as it has been for many many years.

"I suspect he has unfortunately tried to take a short cut to shorten his journey and it is very likely he has strayed off the path without realising it.

"Everything we have heard about Keith is praise. He was extremely well liked at work, a very happy man and well-known to the community and it is a sad loss."