A TEENAGER who fell to his death while on a school field trip was suffering from a blood infection that may have made him 'disorientated', a coroner has said.

The body of 16-year-old Patrick 'Paddy' Dear was discovered at the bottom of cliffs near Dale Fort Field Studies Centre in the early hours of March 18, 2016.

A post mortem report found Paddy had sustained severe injuries, consistent with a fall from a great height.

It also found infection in the form of acute tonsillitis and inflammation of the upper airway.

The pathologist said symptoms of streptococcal infection - found in Paddy's blood - could include drowsiness, unsteadiness, and an inability to comprehend dangerous situations.

Paddy had been reported missing the previous evening, sparking a search by teachers, centre staff, police and coastguard.

At an inquest into his death today (Thursday), coroner's officer Jeremy Davies said Paddy - an AS Level geography student from Essex - arrived in Pembrokeshire on Monday, March 14.

Before leaving home, he complained of being unwell, and displayed flu-like symptoms, but told his mother he was well enough to travel.

Friends said he was in good spirits on the way to Wales, but those who shared a room with him later said he was restless during the night, and kept trying to sleep during the day.

His group spent the next few days visiting Newgale, Broad Haven, Tenby and Stackpole.

On Thursday, March 17, Paddy and other students visited Milford Haven, returning to the field centre at around 2.30pm.

At around 5.30pm, Paddy asked to be excused from a lesson to go to the toilet.

He did not return, and failed to turn up for dinner at 6pm, so school staff began looking for him.

At around 6.30pm, they informed field centre staff, who launched a search of the centre, dormitories, and grounds.

Police were called at 7pm, and the search continued, including in the village of Dale.

Mrs Judith Courie, a resident in the village, told the inquest she saw someone fitting Paddy's description outside her home that evening, pacing back and forth for about an hour, and "seeming unsettled".

The coastguard later joined the search, and at around 1am the all-weather lifeboat was launched, as a casualty had been found.

Paddy's body was discovered, and he was pronounced dead shortly after, but it was apparent he had died some hours before.

When daylight broke, police searched the beach and found a wristwatch belonging to Paddy.

It had stopped working and showed the time as ten to six.

Christine Millican, head of centre at Dale and Orielton field centres, said staff had followed protocol throughout the incident.

The Victorian fort, which has been used as a field studies centre since 1947, hosts around 3,000 students a year, and all are made aware of the dangers of the surrounding cliffs.

In response to a question from Mrs Dear about why the gates to the centre had not been locked upon hearing Paddy was missing, Mrs Millican said this was standard practice, and she did not feel locking them would have changed the "tragic outcome".

Coroner Mark Layton concluded that Paddy died following a fall from height while suffering from Group A streptococcal septicaemia.