THE CORONER has ordered the arrest of a key witness to the Sean Stevens canal tragedy after he failed to turn up for the inquest.

Worcestershire Coroner Geraint Williams took the unusual step after consulting with the dead teenager's parents.

Mr Williams said he was satisfied Sean's friend Ryan Scott, who was with him when he died, had 'wilfully disregarded the summons' ordering him to attend yesterday's hearing.

Mr Williams gave Sean's parents the choice of going ahead with the hearing without the eye witness testimony of Mr Scott, or adjourning the hearing so that he could be forced to attend.

The drama unfolded at the Coroner's Court in Stourport at 11.30am yesterday, an hour and a half after the hearing into Sean's death was scheduled to start.

The inquest related to the events of March 31 when Sean, aged 17, a former Pershore High School pupil, fell into the Worcester to Birmingham canal at Bilford Road in Perdiswell, Worcester.

Although he was pulled out by firefighters he was pronounced dead at 11.14pm that evening at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Originally Mr Scott, also aged 17, was arrested and subsequently charged with manslaughter.

However the charges were dropped in June at Worcester Crown Court when Judge Robert Juckes QC heard the pair had been play fighting when Sean fell in.

Yesterday, when Mr Williams began the inquest he started by addressing Sean's family, who had been waiting for 90 minutes.

He apologised for the delay and explained that proceedings had not begun on time as only one of three witnesses had initially appeared at the court.

A second witness had arrived later but crucially the principal witness, Mr Scott, who gave his address at Worcester Crown Court as Synehurst, Badsey near Evesham, had not appeared.

That was when he gave them the choice of going ahead or adjourning.

After they had said they preferred to wait, Mr Williams called Tanya Whiteman, an officer of the court, who said she had spoken to Mr Scott the day before the inquest, and had told him to be at the court for 9.30am, to which he replied "OK".

Mr Williams said as he had not appeared, and in light of this evidence, he was satisfied Mr Scott had "wilfully disregarded the summons" and issued a warrant for his arrest.

Mr Williams then adjourned the inquest.

The new hearing will take place on to a Tuesday, August 9 at 2pm.