MYSTERY continues to surround the death of a Reading Blue Coat School language teacher who was killed when he rode his scooter onto the tracks at the notorious Ufton Nervet level crossing, an inquest heard today.

Berkshire assistant deputy coroner, Anna Burnside, said there was not enough evidence to rule that dad-of-two David Montague, from Welford Road, Woodley, had intended to take his own life.

Giving an open verdict, Ms Burnside, said: "It's very unclear as to what actually happened, we can't rule out any default."

Train driver, Ryan Howe, had thought the 45-year-old had been trying to get the scooter off the track when he was hit at around 1.10pm on May 22 - but this was later disproved in an investigation by British Transport Police.

A report into the incident found there was no evidence that the scooter had got stuck in the rails and that there had not been a maintenance or design flaw that could have led to the horror collision.

It is the same spot where suicidal motorist Brian Drysdale drove onto the track and derailed a train killing the driver and five others on board in 2004.

Mr Montague's inquest heard that around 20 minutes before his death, motorist Christopher Fox had spotted a motorcyclist at the level crossing by motorist.

Mr Fox said said the barriers had been down and the lights flashing to indicate to motorists that a train was on its way.

He added he thought the motorcyclist was was going to go around the barrier but then caught sight of him and remained on the correct side.