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A man whose body was found at the bottom of some steps in a Sussex town had moved to the county the day before his death, an inquest heard.

Sean Sweeney, 39, from Redhill, in Surrey, moved into a flat in Pelham Crescent, Hastings, with his uncle Peter Graham on October 19, 2018.

At approximately 7.20am on October 20, his body was found by a cleaner at the bottom of six steps which led to a crypt near St Mary in the Castle.

An inquest into his death, held in Hastings on Tuesday (March 26), heard Mr Sweeney had been out drinking with his uncle on the night of October 19 to celebrate moving into their new flat.

Sean Sweeney's body was found at the bottom of a set of steps in Pelham Crescent, Hastings

In a statement read to the court, Mr Graham said his nephew had suffered from depression since losing sight in one eye after being assaulted in a nightclub in Brighton in March 2010.

Mr Graham told the court: “I had a mental breakdown previously. (Mr Sweeney) wanted to live with me because I had been through depression.

“He wanted me to do something to get him through.”

After collecting the keys to their new flat at about 3pm on October 19, Mr Sweeney and Mr Graham went into Hastings to have celebratory drinks.

Mr Graham said they went to Pissarro’s, near Priory Meadow, to listen to reggae music before Mr Sweeney left to visit Crowleys Bar, near Hastings railway station, without his uncle.

Man found dead in Sussex town a day after moving there