West Sussex coroner Penny Schofield has been given leave to apply for the original inquest verdicts of accidental death on Alan Watkins, 50 and son Arun, two, to be quashed. That would pave the way for a second inquest to be held, and for detectives to reopen the case.

Arun was found floating, face-down, and without a lifejacket or armbands, near the mouth of the River Arun a couple of hours after he and his father set off from the beach in a small inflatable dinghy on a Sunday afternoon in June last year.

In spite of desperate efforts to save him, Arun died later that evening.

Mr Watkins' body was spotted at sea a few hundred yards further east two days later.

An inquest in September was told the two had travelled from their home in Southwark, south London for a day at the seaside. When they failed to return that night, Mr Watkins' wife, Sheena, reported them missing to the police.

Inquiries revealed that Mr Watkins had looked up a suicide website, although years before his death. He was also said to be upset at being divorced by his wife.

Detective Sgt Paul Sellings, who led the original inquiry, said at the time of the inquest he believed it was "unlikely" that the deaths were suspicious.

Sussex Police would not reveal any more information this week on the nature of the new evidence.

However, during the initial investigation detectives looked at the possibility that Mr Watkins might have killed his son, and then committed suicide. It's understood this line of inquiry would be reconsidered, along with any others.

Mr Watkins' sister, Susan Benson, said after the inquest at Worthing Town Hall: "It wasn't in his (Alan's) nature to harm himself. He did find it hard to accept the break-up of the marriage and he was hoping for a reconciliation. But he was beginning to accept it. He was concerned for Arun's welfare."
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