A FORMER headteacher at the centre of a missing person enquiry in Stourbridge killed himself after child sex allegations.

Paul Powell lived in Lowestoft but after he disappeared in May cops believed he may have returned to the Black Country where he had family connections.

The search for the 45-year-old, who lived on a house boat in Sea Lake Marina, Oulton Broad, ended when his body was found on a railway embankment in Norwich around two weeks after he is thought to have taken his own life.

In February Powell was arrested in Norwich on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, he was due to answer police bail on May 6, the day after he went missing.

His body was discovered by a railway worker on May 16, a post mortem revealed Powell had suffered injuries to his chest and pelvis consistent with being struck by a train.

Investigators found no records of any collisions involving a train at the site where Powell’s body was found and it was estimated his death occurred at some time on May 5 or 6, near Old Hall Cattle Market in Norwich.

On Thursday September 9, an inquest jury returned a verdict of suicide while Powell was in a disturbed state of mind.