AN INQUEST into the death of a 20-year-old man whose body was recovered from the River Wye has concluded that he died from drowning.

Jake Jones from Sedbury near Chepstow had been out with friends on Monday, May 20, when he reportedly fell into the river near Tutshill.

Police were called at 6.35pm with a report that he had entered the river and not resurfaced.

Chepstow, Penarth and Portishead coastguard teams along with Gwent Police and National Police Air Service were all involved with the search.

Following his mother’s heartrending pleas to the public for information. Gloucestershire Police said that around 7.15am the following Sunday (May 26), a member of the public discovered a body in the water near the mouth of the Wye at Chepstow.

The inquest heard he had climbed over a railing with a friend to sit on a grassy area before stepping near the river's edge that could not support his weight, causing him to fall.

A post-mortem toxicology report showed "small amounts of alcohol and drugs" in Mr Jones’ body and that he had used cocaine prior to his death.

The report concluded "it was not possible to determine the exact effects cocaine would have had" on Mr Jones but these were levels “not usually associated with death".

During the hearing, Jake’s mother, Louise Jones, said she felt information by the police was not passed in a timely manner that her son's body had been found.

She added the family had managed to get the information elsewhere and they had no idea where his body was being kept for days afterwards.

Mrs Jones told the inquest: “No mother should have to find your little boy in a mortuary” and she "could have gone to Jake and held his hand" had she received the information sooner.

Tributes were made by the family after Mr Jones' body was found, as his family said he loved everyone and he was loved by everybody he met.