THE death of a man who was missing for 18 months before his body was found on a farm near Redcar, remains a mystery.

Father-of-one Paul Kerrison sparked one of Cleveland Police's biggest missing person hunts when he vanished without trace in October 2014.

His remains were found among hay bales on a farm near Redcar in May this year.

His inquest heard on Monday that his cause of death was uncertain, and Teesside Coroner Claire Bailey recorded an open verdict.

A post mortem report said it was "certainly possible" that he had become trapped between the bales of hay, which led to his death".

A police report said he had travelled to New Marske from his Eston home on Saturday, October 25, to go "grafting" – carry out burglaries – with a friend.

Mr Kerrison's behaviour had been "bizarre" up to this point, being increasingly paranoid, which was put down to the fact that he was taking drugs in the form of prescribed medication, the inquest heard.

In the report by Detective Inspector Jon Tapper, of Cleveland Police, read out in court by the coroner's officer, he said Mr Kerrison and his friend had broken into a house in New Marske.

He said: "Paul appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was very concerned about returning home for his curfew. Paul committed a burglary with his friend.

"Believing they had been disturbed, they made off from the scene, going in different directions."

The pair had arranged a meeting point near Errington Woods later on.

Mr Kerrison's friend "sat in a bush and drank cider waiting for Paul", DI Tapper said, but he never appeared.

Meanwhile, Mr Kerrison was jumping over rear fences of people's gardens trying to escape, and a dog walker saw him out of breath and running from a back garden at about 7pm. Mr Kerrison told him he was being chased. It was believed to be the last sighting of him.

His family reported him missing the following day.

Post mortem results revealed no evidence of trauma or foul play, and police said Mr Kerrison had not been out of prison long enough to run up any drug debts.

It is believed he tried to make his way home on foot to Eston, and the inquest heard the Yearby farm – not far from the last sighting of him – was searched as part of the police investigation. However, the hay bales were not moved as it was such a massive undertaking.

DI Tapper added: "It is possible he may have hidden between the bales or fallen between them and not been able to escape."

Mr Kerrison had removed his clothing before his death, the report suggested, which is a symptom of hypothermia.

But the postmortem could not give a conclusive cause of death.

Teesside coroner Claire Bailey said she did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances and said it was "with reluctance and regret" that she had to record an open verdict.