A YOUNG man froze to death on his way home from a New Year party, a Selby inquest heard.

Robert Winn, 26, was wearing only a jumper, jeans and trainers when he decided to walk home in the early hours of New Year's Day.

His body was found on a hillside almost five days later. He had almost completed the four-mile cross-country trek and was only ten minutes from home.

A post mortem revealed he had died from hypothermia, almost certainly in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Police officers who went to the scene, at Beckfield Lane, Fairburn, found Robert lying face down on the hillside, near a muddy track.

The former Sherburn High School student was wearing a jumper, jeans and socks and his trainers were found about 20ft away. He had just 7p on him.

His father, Charles Wynn, 69, told the inquest he last saw Robert on New Year's Eve at the Wagon & Horses pub, at Fairburn.

His son then got into a taxi with a friend to continue the celebrations in Castleford.

When Robert did not turn up the next day, he went round to the Selby Fork Hotel, thinking he had stayed the night with a friend who worked there.

The friend, Steven Burras, said he had gone to a bank, in Castleford, to get some money for a taxi and when he returned Robert was not there.

Mr Winn said his son had walked home from Castleford many times, but on this occasion he had gone the long way round because the road he would normally have used was flooded.

Mr Burras said in a statement that Robert had consumed about seven pints of lager and was staggering about the last time he saw him.

He said: "It was very cold that night and he was only wearing a jumper and jeans."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, North Yorkshire coroner Geoff Fell said: "I don't know why his trainers were 20ft away, but hypothermia can lead to confusion and alcohol would have impaired his judgement."

Updated: 11:27 Thursday, March 06, 2003