A POOLE father who died of severe head injuries in a crash in Cambodia was not wearing a helmet, an inquest heard.

Phil Powell's Air Blade motorcycle crashed into a wall in heavy rain in an early hours collision in October 2016.

Since then the Dorset coroner and members of Mr Powell's family have been trying to get details of the crash from the Cambodian authorities.

But, at a Bournemouth inquest into his death, coroner Rachael Griffin said she has been unable to secure accurate information about what happened to Mr Powell, a 43-year-old carpenter from Poole.

A Cambodian police report claimed Mr Powell was "drunk" and travelling "very fast" but Mrs Griffin said police there have not provided evidence to back up their claims.

A post mortem examination carried out in the UK revealed there was alcohol and prescribed drugs in his system but the coroner heard the readings could be related to embalming fluid used on Mr Powell's body.

The inquest heard Mr Powell, who moved to Poole from South Wales when he was seven-years-old, enjoyed travel and had been living in Cambodia for two years when tragedy struck.

He was living with his girlfriend who provided a statement to say they had an argument and that he went to a friend's shop for a drink.

She said she asked him to return to their home but he refused.

The collision took place in the Sihanouk Province, in the west of the country at 3.30am on October 22 2016.

Mr Powell moved to Poole with his mum, Maureen, dad, John, and sister, Emma. He went to Seldown Secondary Boys School before moving to Ashdown School.

His dad told the hearing his son had a lot of friends and was very popular. He said he was "a good dad."

The inquest heard it is not compulsory to wear a crash helmet in Cambodia.

Recording a verdict that Mr Powell died as the result of a road traffic collision, Mrs Griffin told his family: "He made a life for himself out there. He was looking towards the future. I am sorry that there will still remain questions that are unanswered."