A MAN accused of causing the death of a 36-year-old foundry worker after drinking heavily walked free from court yesterday.

Michael Reeves, 25, declined to comment after being cleared of the manslaughter of Michael Burrup, who drowned in the River Wear at Stanhope, County Durham.

The jury at Teesside Crown Court took an hour and 20 minutes to return a not guilty verdict. Mr Reeves, of Millfield, Sunderland, had denied the charge.

Christopher Knox, prosecuting, had told the court that Mr Burrup and friend Michael Blenkinsop offered to show Mr Reeves a short cut to the caravan site where he was staying after leaving the Packhorse pub at 3am on June 9 last year.

The prosecution claimed Mr Reeves, three-times over the drink-drive limit and having taken the prescribed drug diazepam, stole a bicycle and rode it into Mr Burrup, of Railway Terrace, Stanhope, knocking him over.

Mr Knox said the local men continued walking up Craggledy Crag, a path by the river, near Heather View Caravan Park.

The prosecution claimed that without warning Mr Reeves ran up to Mr Burrup and after reports of "noises like slaps or punches" the pair fell 40ft into the water.

Mr Burrup, who worked at the Blackett Hutton foundry in Stanhope, suffered a fractured skull and broken ribs in the fall and drowned. Mr Reeves was also injured in the fall.

Mr Reeves said that he could remember nothing after leaving the pub until waking up in hospital.

The court heard that he had no previous convictions.