Inquest opens into death of soldier found in river

An inquest has opened into the death of a soldier who was found in the River Tyne after a night out.

Northumbria Police recovered the body of Liam Potts, 22, who served with the Coldstream Guards, close to Wylam Bridge on 18 August.

Prior to his disappearance in the early hours of 15 August, the force said it received reports of a disturbance at The Boathouse pub and a subsequent collision at the bridge between a car and group of pedestrians.

At Northumberland Coroners' Court, assistant coroner Paul Dunn said the provisional cause of death was cardio-respiratory arrest and the inquest was adjourned until a future date.

Police are still investigating whether the incident at the pub and on the bridge are linked, but the force said Potts was on the bridge at the time of the collision.

It added the soldier was not in the car or hit by it, but entered the water "within minutes" of it happening.

Two men, aged 22 and 23, were re-arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released on bail as inquiries continue.

A man and woman, both in their 20s, sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries in the collision.

In a tribute the soldier's family, who called him Pottsy, said he was "the heart and soul of any room".

"We are going to miss your smile, your laugh, and the little things that made you who you are," they said.

"Though time may pass, the love we have for you will never fade."

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