A NARROWBOAT dweller was found drowned in the River Thames, a coroner’s court heard.

Marc Wilson, 49, was found dead on January 19 in the vicinity of his boat, having fallen into the River Thames.

The Leicester-born man's boat was moored near Folly Bridge, Oxford.

Opening an inquest into Mr Wilson’s death on Thursday, assistant coroner Joanna Coleman said his death was verified by a police constable at 4.17pm on the day he was found.

A post-mortem had been carried out and the cause of death given as drowning together with a secondary cause of acute alcohol intoxication.

A full inquest will be held on August 3.

At the start of the year, a large-scale search was mounted for Mr Wilson by the police after he was reported missing.

Thames Valley Police said the last reported sighting of him was on January 8, when he was seen on his boat near Folly Bridge at around 1.15pm.

CCTV footage later released by the police showed him in the St Aldates Tesco Express store at 4.27pm and 10.22pm on the day of his disappearance.

His body was found 11 days later and Mr Wilson was identified by a detective constable at the scene.

Det Insp Ryan James said at the time: “I would extend our condolences to Marc’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.”

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