THE SISTER of the man who fell to his death from Symonds Yat rock said she cannot understand what has happened.

Richard Eagle's body was found at the beauty spot, two miles from the home he shared with his sister Kathy in Christ­church, last Thursday.

An inquest into the 60-year-old's death has been opened but his sister believes he took his own life.

She said: "I just can't believe it, I keep expecting him to walk through the door.

"He has had bouts of depression in the past but he has been fine recently.

"Richard always wanted an old house and library and he's got an old house and a library.

"He has never been happier.

"He didn't leave a note or anything so I just don't understand what has happened.

"On Sunday he was going tree-cutting with friends from the Dean Forest Railway and he had booked a 1940s holiday.

"He loves to dress up and will natter with anyone. He's such a nice man, everyone says he is lovely."

Ms Eagles plays the bagpipes and last saw her brother before leaving home on Wednesday morning for a Burns Night job in Stourport.

When she returned to Coleford the following day at just before 10pm, her brother was not there.

She said: "It was cold, he had not lit the two woodburners but they had been laid.

"There was dog mess in the hall but the dogs are house-trained so that means they had been locked in for some time.

"I thought he had gone to the New Inn in Short Standing and I wasn't worried at the point.

Ms Eagles phoned the pub but they had not seen him and she contacted the police after going into his room at 11pm.

She said: "The police have been brilliant – they were here like a shot.

"They had police in three vans looking for him and a missing persons specialist from Gloucester.

"A friend spoke to him at 9.30pm on Wednesday and he seemed fine and I know that he gave the dogs their eye drops at 3pm on Thursday because we put it in a book.

"Sometime after that he walked two miles to Symonds Yat and (I believe) chucked himself off a cliff.

"He wasn't just my brother, he was was my best friend. We were totally different but ever so close."