A verdict of accidental death has been reached at the inquest of a 27-year-old former Halesowen College student who fell from a sixth floor balcony whilst on holiday in Bulgaria.

Stephen Danks, of St Andrews Close, Lower Gornal, fell to his death from his hotel room just hours after he started a summer break with friends in Sunny Beach Holiday resort near Sofia.

The 1st Lower Gornal branch scout leader had gone back to the Kalafor Hotel after a night out with his friends on the first day of their trip on Monday August 14.

Stephen left his friends in the foyer of the hotel at around 3am so he could go to sleep.

Just an hour later his friends returned to the hotel and were unable to find him. They discovered his bed had not been slept in and he had fallen. His body was found on Tuesday August 15.

An inquest on Friday (May 11) heard the hotel room balcony was narrow and the railings were only one metre and a half high.

Black Country Coroner Robin Balmain recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Former Halesowen College and Staffordshire University student Stephen lived with his mum Lynda, dad and younger brother Tom at the family home Brother Mat, former Dudley News chief reporter, said: "We will never really know the full circumstances of exactly what happened.

"It was a very tragic accident. The inquest was a hard thing for his friends to go through.

"It was just pleasing to reach some sort of closure on it.

"We can take some sort of comfort from when the accident tragically happened he was enjoying himself with his best mates."