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Inquest into deaths of twins Muriel and Bernard Burgess and Scott Enion at Langdon Cliffs in Dover

A brother and sister were found dead by chance at the foot of cliffs after another man was seen jumping to his death, an inquest heard.

The bodies of Muriel and Bernard Burgess, aged 59, from Elton in Chester were discovered by emergency crews searching at the bottom of Langdon Cliffs in Dover on New Year's Day.

Police and coastguard teams were called at around 2.30pm after witnesses saw Gulf War veteran Scott Enion, 45, from Manchester, plunge to his death.

The man was pulled from the sea in Dover
The man was pulled from the sea in Dover

All three bodies were found close to each other at the eastern docks.

The hearing at Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone was told two sets of ashes were found in rucksacks belonging to the Burgesses.

One set was the twins' mother, Muriel Snr, who died in 2014. The other set was unlabelled, but presumed to be their father Bernard Snr, who died in 1984.

But it is not known if the intention was to scatter them, as they were found in sealed containers near the bodies.

Cliffs tragedy victim Scott Enion. Picture from Facebook.
Cliffs tragedy victim Scott Enion. Picture from Facebook.

Coroner Patricia Harding recorded an open conclusion for the twins. She said no one had seen them fall, so an accident could not be ruled out.

Mr Enion was seen to jump from the cliffs, so a conclusion of suicide was recorded.

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