A PROMISING student accidentally fell to his death whilst watching fireworks in Tokyo.

Justin Browning, 2, of Rudgwick, near Horsham had been celebrating New Year with friends when he plunged to his death from a tower block.

A documentary inquest in Crawley this week found his death was an accident.

Durham University student Justin was on a year abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo when the tragedy happened.

A taxi driver found him on the ground below the tall building leading to friends paying emotional tributes to the Durham University scholar.

Staff at Durham University were left "shocked and saddened" at the sudden death of Mr Browning on 1 January.

They said the "well-liked" pupil, in the third year of his history degree, was a "model student" on course for a "strong first class degree".

At the time of his death, the university revealed that his project on Tibetan Buddhist folklore and ethnicity had been accepted for publication in the Princeton Journal of East Asian Studies.

Justin's father, Steve, told a national newspaper after his death: "We are devastated by the untimely death of our beautiful and beloved son, Justin, in a tragic accident.

"Justin was a bright, committed, gentle and funny young man, much loved by all his family and friends and with such a bright future ahead of him.

"His death has affected so many people and he will stay in our hearts for ever."

Friend Seb Marlow paid tribute to the friend he had known since the age of five saying: "I could not have asked for a better school friend, university friend, housemate, team mate, and overall best friend.

"Someone who, no matter how busy or hard life became, would always make time to eat pizza and watch a terrible TV show with us to bring us all back down to earth."

Close friend Leila Dara who he lived with in Tokyo described him as an "incredible human being."

She said in a blog post after his death: "If you knew him you were lucky, and if you didn’t you desperately missed out."

Prof Jo Fox, head of history, said: "Justin was one of our very best students.

"He was a model student - funny, committed, sharp, independent, and very well-liked by all."