THE GRIEVING parents of a 21-year-old told an inquest their son had warned police he would jump under a train.

The emotional inquest into Luke Howes' death after he escaped from the window of his family home on Woodend Drive, Ascot, before stepping in front of a train, reached its seventh day on Tuesday.

Lydia and David Howes questioned the behaviour of police officers who attended the home on the day of his death, and explained how their son had warned police he would jump in front of a train three months before his death.

The inquest heard how Mr Howes had warned Thames Valley Police of his intention to jump under a train in August 2015, three months before he died, but this was not flagged up when police attended the family home on the night of his death.

The parents said officers should have searched the streets immediately after realising he had fled the house.

On the night of his death, Mrs Howes told police on the phone how her son was 'ballistic' she had given his phone to police and he warned his family "we're all dead now, The Triads are coming to kill us."

The inquest, opened by chief coroner for Berkshire Peter Bedford on Monday, July 17, heard how Mr Howes had been addicted to methamphetamine, known by its street name crystal meth, since August 2013 and had discharged himself from rehab five months before he died.

Speaking in front of a jury, Mrs Howes said she first became aware of her son's problems with the drug in 2013 when he opened up about his addiction.

A month later Mr Howes went to study music at Bournemouth University. Just weeks into his course however, he suffered a psychotic episode and was brought home by his parents. He never returned to university.

The coroner's opening summary revealed crystal meth had affected Mr Howes' mental health for more than two years, during which time he took two overdoses in March and July 2014.

In January 2015 he went to a rehabilitation centre where he remained for six months until discharging himself against his mother's wishes.

On November 8, 2015, Mr Howes was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital, but was discharged on November 11.

The inquest at Reading Crown Court continues.