MYSTERY shrouds the death of a young man whose body was recovered from the River Tees days after he was reported missing from home.

A pathologist has found no marks of violence on the body of 18-year-old Christopher Shaw, who died from drowning, a post-mortem examination has established.

But new evidence has emerged of someone matching his description seen lying on the ground of the car park of the riverside Mecca Bingo Hall, Stockton, at about 2am on Sunday, June 23.

Detective Inspector Eric Robinson, who is in charge of the inquiry, is satisfied that person was Christopher, who lived at the opposite end of town, in Thistle Road.

The shipping clerk had earlier been out with a group of friends at the Zanzibar night club, in Stockton High Street.

Insp Robinson said: "There is no evidence of any assaults or injuries. It certainly looks that death was the result of drowning. There are several lines of inquiry we are still having to follow up.

"We still don't know how he has ended up in the water, and that we are trying to establish.

"One strange feature in this sad story is why was he there when, in fact, he lived in totally the opposite direction. We need to find this out."

To try to find answers to the puzzle, a police team stopped and questioned people in the town centre on Saturday night and into the early hours of yesterday.

Insp Robinson said: "We had one or two leads of possible sightings, which we will be following up over the next couple of days.

"Basically, the object of the exercise was to jog people's memories, to find if anyone saw Chris, and especially if there were any people in the area of the Mecca Bingo Hall."

Sifting through fuzzy CCTV footage, Cleveland Police last week spotted a youth wearing a distinctive shirt matching the Lambretta top Christopher was wearing, standing outside the club, apparently waiting for a taxi.

They have appealed to anyone who was in the club that night, wearing similar clothing, to come forward.

Christopher's parents were too upset to speak at the weekend.

Anyone who can help police piece together Christopher's last movements is asked to ring (01642) 326326.