Elderly couple on holiday in Devon fell off cliff - inquest

An elderly couple found dead at the base of a cliff could have slipped or tripped, an inquest has heard.

John and Imogen Kesteven, 81 and 80, from Greenford in Middlesex, were on a coach tour in north Devon when they failed to return to their hotel in September 2022.

The couple were walking along a path at Lynton, where the cliffs rise to nearly 1,000ft (304m) at their highest point.

The inquest heard they were about to celebrate 58 years of marriage.

Their bodies were found at the base of the vertical cliffs by a police helicopter two days after they were last seen at their hotel.

Juliet Grey, the couple's daughter, told the inquest at Exeter Crown Court her parents were "young for their ages" and both enjoyed walking.

She said they may have gone off a path to explore and look for some plant cuttings.

She added they possibly slipped or tripped on the tough pathway.

Parts of the path are close to the cliff edge, which is hidden by vegetation, the inquest heard.

Ms Grey told the hearing the couple may have been walking arm-in-arm and they were about to celebrate 58 years of marriage.

She said her mother suffered with short-term memory loss and her father's knee sometimes collapsed and made him unsteady.

Det Sgt Ben Cartwright, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said it was possible they were collecting cuttings and left the narrow pathway and got into difficulty.

He said one may have tried to rescue the other and both ended up in trouble.

"It's an unfortunate and very tragic accident," he said.

Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney recorded that the couple died from injuries from a fall from height.

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