POLICE investigating the death of tragic York busker Kingsley Hoffman have ruled out suspicious circumstances.

Mr Hoffman was found dead in the River Foss near Heworth Bridge in the city centre, opposite the Brigadier Gerard pub, on New Year's Day.

An inquest was opened and adjourned at Sentinel House in York on Monday by the coroner Donald Coverdale.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "Inquiries have led us to believe that the death was not suspicious, but we are still trying to piece together his last movements between 4am and finding his body."

Police have been able to track all of Mr Hoffman's movements in the early hours of New Year's Day up until 4am.

They still want to hear from anyone who knows where he was after that time. The 48-year-old musician is known to have been in Dodsworth Avenue at 2.45am on New Year's Day and remained in the company of three known witnesses who left him in Haxby Road at 3.50am.

He was then sighted again on his own at 4am in Haxby Road close to Jaipur Spice restaurant.

At this time he was still carrying his guitar case on his back and the case had the word "Ritter" on the side.

Mr Hoffman is described as white, of medium build, with receding brown/grey hair. He was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, a blue round-neck jumper, a white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. Kingsley Geoffrey Hoffman was a mature student at York St John University, where he was in the first year of a degree course in performance theatre.

He was a former caller at Mecca Bingo, in Fishergate, who often sang and played guitar in local pubs, as well as busking on the city streets.

He was known as Geoff to his family in his home town of Ormskirk.

Police said his family would now be able to start planning a funeral as the inquest had been opened.

Anyone with information about what happened to Mr Hoffman is asked to phone York Police on 0845 60 60 247.