The son of North Wiltshire MP James Gray watched helplessly as his friend dived to his death from a balcony at a London club, wearing only his boxer shorts, an inquest heard yesterday.

John Gray, 18, had gone with Giles Norman,19, of London, to the Ocean Club on September 27.

Although Mr Norman told Mr Gray he had taken LSD, the drug was not found in his body, although a pathologist said he could have been experiencing flashbacks, which can occur up to four years after using the drug, and can be triggered by cannabis which was found in his system.

Mr Norman was taken to the Royal London Hospital and died on September 30.

Mr Gray did not attend the inquest in London but in a statement said: "We met in Camden at about 8pm and got the train to to Hackney Central. On entering the club we split up, but met up again later. Giles appeared happy but during the course of the evening his moods were going up and down.

"Giles had had his trousers off an hour before he fell. The venue was hot and people had their shirts off.

"Giles was in the habit of climbing on fences and jumping off but this has never been a dangerous wanting of attention."

Mr Gray added he would have been disappointed if Giles had taken drugs and was not impressed with his friends behaviour that night. He admitted smoking cannabis with Mr Norman previously but not any other substances.

Mr Norman's brother James said in a statement: "M y brother was not, and never could have been described as a pill popper. I know that as well as using cannabis he used ecstasy.

"Giles had also taken LSD but only once or twice. He said it was a wonderful experience. I think it is quite likely that he took ecstasy on his birthday."

"Giles did exaggerate things and had a habit for the melodramatic."

Their father Charles Aquestil Norman told the inquest: "Giles was in between Winchester College and university but he didn't have a specific college in mind.

"Myself, my wife and daughter-in- law took him to lunch to celebrate his birthday.

"He was going off to a party that night and then intending to stay over with John Gray and then go on to the anti-Iraq march the next day. John Gray was an acquaintance of his at Winchester who also lived in london.''

The pathologist gave the cause of death as multiple injuries and said the cannabis detected did not necessarily mean Mr Norman had used the drug on that night.

Recording an open verdict coroner Dr Andrew Reid said: "There is no unequivocal evidence that he took LSD. There is a factual gap in the evidence in this case."