A BANKER who leapt to his death from an eighth-storey rooftop restaurant feared he would lose his job after playing a prank at work, it has been reported.

Oxford graduate Anjool Malde, from Yarm, near Stockton, is believed to have posed as one of his clients, posting a message on a financial website saying: I am hot, I am hot.

Investigators think this was probably a reference to his client being on a successful client run.

Mr Malde's client, who works for Brevan Howard, a leading hedge fund management firm, did not see the funny side and made a formal complaint to the company which runs the discussion forum.

An investigation suggested Mr Malde had impersonated the client from his office computer at Deutsche Bank, which prompted bosses to send him home early on July 3, two days before his death.

Mr Malde poured himself a glass of champagne and put on his best Hugo Boss suit before jumping from the top of the Coq d'Argent restaurant at No 1 Poultry, in London, on July 5, only two days before his 25th birthday.

Colleagues believe he was convinced he would lose his job.

One friend said: It was a mildly offensive remark which triggered a tragic chain of events.

Another source added: On the face of it, it was a very trivial incident. But in the City, issues which involve potential loss of money or reputation are taken very seriously.

Police have found no evidence that Mr Malde had downloaded any inappropriate material on his computer or was involved in any criminal behaviour.

Friends believe the entrepreneur was worried about losing his job as three colleagues had recently been made redundant.

Mr Malde was working long hours at the bank's London headquarters and is said to have been often at his desk by 6am.

On the social networking site Twitter, Mr Malde made reference to his concerns about rising unemployment figures and also having a lot of work to do.

His parents, Naina and Bharat, have been left devastated by the death of their only son, who was known as Jools by his friends.