AN inquest has been opened into the death of a student who suffered a major head injury more than a decade ago.

Talented sportsman Peter Wake, who was a third year student at Durham University, was seriously injured in 2007 following a night out in the city.

He died on June 22, aged 31, at Kingston Hospital in Surrey.

Prior to his death, Mr Wake had been resident at Wingham Court Nursing Home, which offers rehabilitation care for younger people with long term brain injuries.

At the time of his injuries, Mr Wake was 20 and was in his third year of studying history at Durham University.

The St John's College student was found unconscious with a fractured skull at the foot of a flight of concrete steps, around 30-yards from his rented flat in Durham.

On the evening of the incident, in November 2007, he had been drinking in Durham with fellow university rowing crew members, and left the Loveshack night spot, off Claypath, at midnight.

He was last seen on city centre CCTV cameras on Milburngate Bridge, heading towards his flat, in Allergate, and was found at the bottom of a flight of concrete steps in a side street off Grape Lane, near the Elm Tree pub, in Crossgate, the following day.

Despite several appeals, police were unable to piece together what caused Mr Wake to sustain his injuries.

Originally from New Malden, in Surrey, Mr Wake was a keen sportsman and was captain of St John's Boat Club, and was part of cross country, football and rugby teams during his time in Durham.

In 2015, the Sunderland fan was awarded an aegrotat degree by Durham University, given in exceptional circumstances to students who are unable to take exams due to illness or death.

His parents Anne and Philip had set up a trust fund to raise money to help Mr Wake and had kept an online blog of his progress.

An inquest into his death was opened by Durham coroner Jeremy Chipperfield on Monday and was adjourned until October.

A report prepared for the coroner said the cause of death was linked to a traumatic brain injury.