AN “ANXIOUS” 25-year-old was reported missing more than a week before his body was found in the River Tees, an inquest heard.

The concerned family of Tebogo Magadlela told Cleveland Police that their son was last seen on CCTV leaving their family home in Stockton at 5.10am on October 1, 2016.

Mr Magadlela, who moved with his father from South Africa in 2008 to join his mother and brother in the region, had become “increasingly isolated” and “anxious” in the weeks leading up to his disappearance.

The 25-year-old, who regularly played football with friends and attended Stockton Parish Church, was classed as a “medium-risk missing person” by police – who searched a stretch of the River Tees between Victoria Bridge and the Tees Barrage.

Acting Senior Coroner for Teesside, Clare Bailey, told Teesside Coroner’s Court yesterday that Mr Magadlela’s body was discovered in the river close to the Surtees Bridge at 1.35pm on October 10, 2016. He had died from downing.

She said: “It’s not known how he came to be in the river. Sadly, it is only Tebogo who does know what happened and the events that lead to him being discovered in the Tees.”

Ms Bailey added that insufficient evidence existed to prove that Mr Magadlela had taken his own life and concluded a narrative verdict.