A FATHER-OF-ONE who was found floating face down in the River Weaver died of natural causes, a court heard.

An inquest into the death of 47-year-old Northwich resident Simon Schofield, commonly known as Andy, was held at Crewe Law Courts on June 26.

The court heard that Mr Schofield who worked as a mechanic for Arriva, at the bus company’s Winsford depot, died on or around October 23, 2011.

Mr Schofield’s father, John Schofield, told the court his son ‘thoroughly enjoyed’ his job aside from the tasks of cleaning the toilets, and had never taken a day off.

He explained that while on holiday in France on October 17, he received a phone call from the police which said that his son had not shown up to work on October 14.

Mr Schofield’s former partner and mother of his child, Lynne Andrews, told the court that the drinking habits of her partner, who she estimated drank to excess about once a fortnight, sometimes caused problems and arguments.

She explained that he also tried to avoid pastry and pies, which he believed caused his complaints of heartburn.

Andrew Stanley, landlord at the Beehive in Northwich town centre, said he first met Mr Schofield about 17 years ago, when they both worked in the building trade, describing him as a ‘real gem’.

“He came into the pub regularly,” he said.

“He would pop in if he was out and about and if he was in town.

“He had a good circle of friends and if they were in the pub, he’d call to see if they were about - he seemed to do the circuit.”

Mr Stanley explained that on October 14, he called into the Beehive at about 2pm to see Mr Schofield already there, and explained he was still there on his return at 7pm.

“He was in the frame of mind that he was taking the mickey out of people, laughing and joking, I was not having a sensible conversation with him.

“I was going to the pub to start a night shift and by the looks of him he was just finishing.”

He added that at about 9pm, he saw Mr Schofield leave the pub and turn left, which he presumed meant that he was going to the cashpoint.

British Waterways employee Martin Hughes, who lives at Anderton Marina, explained that he voyaged out on a boat onto the River Weaver on October 23, for a river cruise carrying people from the Anderton Boat Lift to Northwich - the first time he had manned a boat of passengers as a boat master.

He explained that the boat wasn’t permitted to travel under Town Bridge, so needed to turn around just beforehand.

“I’d just come to the point where you turn,” he said.

“I heard a young girl behind me scream and as she did so, the boat master whispered in my ear ‘I think we have seen a body’.”

Police were then called to the scene and searched Mr Schofield for identity purposes.

A post mortem report revealed that Mr Schofield’s urine alcohol level was about three times the legal driving limit.

Dr David Butterworth, consultant pathologist at Leighton Hospital said the causes of death were hypertensive heart disease and coronary artery atheroma and concluded Mr Schofield had died either before, or shortly after, entering the water.

Before making his verdict, Coroner Dr Geoffrey Roberts, said: “The only thing we know for certain is he had sufficiently severe heart disease to suffer death at anytime.”

He added: “The only certainty in this case which applies is that Mr Schofield had very severe natural disease so my verdict is that he died of natural causes.”

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