Family in the dark on canal death

The devastated family of a man whose body was found in a Wolverhampton canal today said they had little clue as to what had happened to him. He was found on Wednesday.

Father of six Dara Singh Chana was discovered by a passer by in the Birmingham Main Line canal, off Cannock Road. An inquest into the 50-year-old's death was opened and immediately adjourned yesterday by Wolverhampton coroner Richard Allen. Mr Chana was born in India and had run DS Chana and Son Builders for around 30 years.

He was known to all his friends by the nickname "Indian Dave" and operated the business out of the family home in Compton Road, Merridale.

Today his sons Davinder and Pavitar vowed to carry on the company in their father's name.

Davinder, aged 25, said: "My father taught us everything we knew.

"But we don't know anything about what happened to him that night and we are desperate to find out anything we can.

"He was loved so much and this was a tragic accident.

"We just miss him and my brother and I promise that we will make him proud of us."

He said the family, including four daughters, all called their father 'papa'.

"Papa suffered from epilepsy and he was discharged from New Cross Hospital a few days earlier," he said.

"At the moment we think he may have had a fit."

Pavitar, aged 17, will join Davinder in keeping the business going.

Mr Chana also leaves a wife, Vijay, aged 45.