A DEVOTED family man was found dead four days after disappearing from home on Father's Day.

An inquest heard that Alan Yates had left to collect a friend before taking his family out for the day. But he never reached the friend's house and was never seen alive again.

Mr Yates, 48, of Kings Road, Blackburn, was a member of a bus preservation group and had left to collect fellow member Steven Holmes before going to Darwen to collect a bus.

His wife Doreen said they had planned to go to Keighley for the day, taking their daughter Melanie. Everything had been normal as her husband had breakfast before leaving to collect the bus.

Later the same day his car was found abandoned near a Feniscowles paper mill, less than a mile from their home.

Mrs Yates said the car had been 'playing up' and a mechanic had come to repair it the previous day.

She said the only reason she could think the car was there was because it had stalled and her husband had got fed up with it. Mr Yates was reported missing later that day and a massive search involving police, members of Rossendale Fell Rescue and the police helicopter was launched.

However, Mr Yates' body was not found until it floated to the surface of the Leeds-Liverpool canal after being disturbed by a passing barge.

Mrs Yates said that had her husband decided to walk home after abandoning the car he could have decided to take the canal towpath.

She revealed that he could not swim and said she thought it most likely that he had fallen into the water.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, acting coroner Michael Singleton said there was nothing to suggest any self-harm or third party involvement.

"This represents nothing more than a most tragic accident," Mr Singleton added.

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