A man drowned after spending an evening drinking and then falling into the Oxford Canal.

Unemployed road surfacer Hugh Lillis, 56, of Goose Green Close, Oxford, was found floating face-down in the Oxford Canal by a jogger.

Paul Nurse, of Woodstock Road, Oxford, told Oxford Coroner's Court that he spotted the body as he ran along the canal towpath, behind St Edwards School, near Aristotle Lane, Oxford, at about 8am on November 23, 2000.

He said: "I saw a head. I thought at first it was a joke of some sort.

"But then I saw the head clearly. I stood for about a minute to see if there was any possibility that he was still alive. I noticed his ear was wrinkled.

"That indicated to me he had been there for some time."

Mr Lillis' brother, Thomas Lillis who also lived in Goose Green Close, said he had been missing for several days.

He did not raise the alarm, because he believed his brother may have gone to see his ex-wife and daughter in Birmingham.

After police broke the news of his brother's death days later, Thomas Lillis said his brother had probably visited several city centre pubs and tried to walk home along the towpath that night.

Consultant pathologist Dr Peter Millard said Mr Lillis's blood contained 235mg of blood in 100ml litres - the legal limit for driving is 80mg.

He concluded that the death was caused by alcohol intoxication and drowning.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death.