Prince Alwin

Drinkers at a city centre bar saw Prince Alwin, 20, acting strangely around Deansgate Locks in the early hours, an inquest heard.

Student Holly Siddall told Manchester Coroners’ Court that she was at Missoula bar with friends when she saw him running.

She said “I was looking over the locks when I saw a face move into the light. He was looking up the street – I thought he might be hiding from the police. He ran across the lock gate and was hiding everywhere. He looked really on edge. He crouched and then jumped forward.”

Miss Siddall did not realise he had plunged into the Rochdale Canal, but was so disturbed by what she saw that she returned to the scene the next day. She phoned police when she realised Mr Alwin must have jumped into the water.

Head bartender Cheryl-Ann Cardin had earlier refused to serve him at the Pitcher & Piano. She told the court: “I didn't think he was just drunk – he was so out of it. I thought he had taken drugs as well.”

A post-mortem revealed traces of alcohol and morphine, a derivative of heroin, in his system.