AN inquest is due to open in the new year into the Christmas Eve tragedy of a teacher from Newton Abbot who died as he tried to retrieve his dog from the swollen River Lemon.

Nick Mutton, a 46-year-old father-of-two who taught at Cockington Primary School, Torquay, went into the fast-flowing river at the Bakers Park end of the Asda superstore in a desperate attempt to save his beloved pet.

The alarm was raised at 11.15am. by 11.25am he was recovered from the river by police and firefighters nearly a mile away at Tucker's Maltings.