A MOTORCYCLIST whose body lay undiscovered on a Southampton road for more than fours hours despite police being called to the scene was four times the drink-drive limit, an inquest was told.

Kevin Atherton came off his Kawasaki 750 on Mountbatten Way while travelling at around 60mph in a 30mph stretch.

The hearing was told the 38-year-old had been drinking with pals in Portsmouth before returning to see his girlfriend in Weston in the early hours of November 16 last year.

An investigation showed his machine had several defects, including under-inflated suspension which affected its handling.

Police were called to Mountbatten Way at about 3.30am after a taxi driver spotted the motorbike lying on the eastbound carriageway.

Officers said they searched the area but could not find the owner of the bike and suspected he had fled.

More than four hours later motorists contacted emergency services after spotting Mr Atherton's body, which had struck a lamp post, lying in the central reservation.

The Southampton hearing was told it was more than 70 metres from where the bike was found.

PC Emma Hall said she and colleagues had searched the area with a powerful torch but had not seen any sign of it.

Accident investigator PC David Whiting said he was not surprised the body was not spotted. He said: "The motorcycle was about 70 metres from the rider and also there's a slight slope to the central reservation.

"Street lighting can create very bright areas of light but conversely very dark areas behind it."

The inquest was told Mr Atherton, who hailed from Manchester, had no fixed address but had been seeing a woman in Weston for about four weeks.

Benjamin Stanbury, who had been drinking with Mr Atherton in the hours before he died, said he offered him the chance to spend the night at his home as he feared he was over the drink drive limit.

He added: "He tended to flit from place to place, a quiet bloke who kept himself to himself."

Southampton deputy coroner Gordon Denson recorded a verdict of accidental death.