A MOTHER is demanding answers after the sudden death of her son in France - and the return of his body without major organs.

Andrew Watt, 31, from Durham City, was found dead about a mile from Vimarce, near Laval, in North-West France, in September.

French doctors concluded that the former Durham Johnston School pupil died of heart failure.

However, his family questioned the judgement and a second post-mortem was ordered by a North-East coroner Andrew Tweddle.

But the tests were put on hold when it was discovered that Mr Watt's body had been returned to the UK without his brain and heart. Organs thought to be Mr Watt's were located in a French research hospital after inquiries were made by the British Consulate.

DNA tests are now being carried out to make sure they do belong to the County Durham man.

But Mr Watt's mother, Julie Sheppard, fears the delays mean the cause of her son's death may never be known.

Mrs Sheppard, 51, said: "We just feel we haven't been given any answers. We've never been told why they wanted his heart or brain."

After leaving school, Mr Watt studied at Leeds University, later teaching maths and English to inmates at Durham Prison and working for children's adventure holiday company PGL.

It was while working for the company in France that he met his French girlfriend who he was living with at the time of his death.

Mrs Sheppard, who now lives in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, said her family lived on and off in France for several years, but when they returned for good in 2009, her son stayed with his girlfriend.

Mr Watt suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, a condition his mother believes may have resulted from her son smoking cannabis at university.

Mr Watt was receiving treatement in a French hospital, however his mother believes the medication dosages he was being given for the six months before his death were far too high.

"If Andrew was being medicated they should never have allowed him to deteriorate so much," said Mrs Sheppard, who is attempting to launch legal action against the hospital.

"The French authorities put the cause of Andrew's death down to heart failure due to ill health, but given the large amount of medication he was on, that cannot be certain."

She and her husband, Les, flew to France after being notified of her son's death.

Mrs Sheppard described her treatment by the French gendarmerie as "appalling".

She added: "I was in shock and in a very distressed state. They interviewed me but my husband wasn't event allowed in the room with me.

"They accused me of not knowing my own son. I practically had to force my way out of the room."

The family was forced to pay more than £6,000 to get Mr Watt's body home and a further £2,750 to recover his organs.

The Northern Echo was unable to contact the French Embassy in London last night.

Later this month, Mr Watt's family, including father Kevin Watt and his partner Jenny, from Newton Hall, Durham City, sister Gemma, 30, from Gilesgate, Durham City, stepfather Les, brother Patrick, 13, sisters Claire, 28, and Niamh, 12, will take part in a charity walk along Hadrian's Wall in Mr Watt's memory.

To donate, visit justgiving.com/gemma-templer