A young builder died on a railway line in front of his ex-girlfriend, an inquest heard.

Darren Avis, 22, wanted to get back with Juliette Hellier after a split but she wanted more time to think.

When she heard he was in a distressed state at Bexhill railway station, she dashed there with friend Stuart Funnell.

They saw Mr Avis on the line in almost pitch darkness staggering towards them, shouting "I didn't want to do this'" and "Is Juliette there?"

Miss Hellier and Mr Funnell pleaded with him to come off the track but he fell and his arms touched the 750-volt live rail, killing him instantly.

The Hastings inquest heard Mr Avis, of London Road, Bexhill, was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit when he died at about 10.40pm last August.

He had gone to the railway bridge on at least one occasion in the previous six months following turmoil with Miss Hellier, whom he started dating around April 2001, and in February 2002, he was taken to hospital after he took an overdose following a row.

She said he was prone to emotional outbursts after drinking but thought it was not his intention to take his life that night.

Miss Hellier, of Manor Road, Bexhill, said: "He would deal with his anger by doing stupid things. I don't think he ever meant to purposely hurt himself."

Earlier that evening, Mr Avis had been drinking with Mr Funnell at a snooker club and at Walkers Cocktail Bar in Devonshire Square, Bexhill.

Ex-Bexhill College student Mr Avis told Mr Funnell he was going to meet Miss Hellier for a talk later that evening but he later vanished from the pub.

At first Mr Funnell was not alarmed as he presumed he had met Miss Hellier. But when she turned up at the pub herself, they got a call from Mr Avis.

Mr Funnell, 23, of Cranfield Road, Bexhill, said: "Darren said, 'I've gone off the bridge and I've hurt myself'.

"I didn't believe him. I passed the phone to Juliette and then the phone cut off."

At the station they found Mr Avis on the westbound track beneath the bridge. As they pleaded with him to get off the line, he replied, 'No, I have had enough'.

A post-mortem revealed Mr Avis died from electrocution.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, East Sussex coroner Alan Craze said: "All the evidence shows there was never any intention to take his life."