A VERDICT of accidental death by drowning was recorded at an inquest into the death of Wiltshire yachtsman Leslie Foulkes.

Mr Foulkes was killed in the early hours of Wednesday, April 10 in Alderney in the Channel Islands.

The Court of Alderney heard on Tuesday that Mr Foulkes, from Crudwell, Wiltshire, was one of two people aboard the 30ft Hunter Legend Domino which arrived in Alderney from Dielette in France at around 8pm the previous day.

The yacht moored on a visitor's buoy in Braye Harbour and both men, unable to find a lift ashore, stayed on board.

The weather deteriorated rapidly, as forecast, and despite regular checks of the two mooring lines by the boat's owner and skipper Daniel Perchard, the yacht broke from its mooring and crashed on to rocks at nearby Maggie's Bay at around 4am.

The vessel began breaking up and both men were swept overboard.

Mr Perchard, 47, from Crudwell, was rescued by a fishing boat whose skipper immediately raised the alarm that a man was missing.

The body of 54-year-old engineer Mr Foulkes was discovered at 6am on the shoreline of adjacent Braye Bay by the emergency services.

The pathologist's report stated the cause of death as drowning and referred to a head injury which would have rendered him unconscious. Time of death was given as between 4am and 5.40am.