British teenager dies after plunging 10 floors from a hotel balcony in Bulgaria

Liam Davies, 19, was on a package holiday with friends

A British teenager has died on holiday in Bulgaria after apparently plunging 10 floors from a hotel balcony at a seaside resort.

Liam Davies, 19, known as Shaun, was on a package holiday with friends in the popular resort of Sunny West on the Black Sea.

He is believed to have fallen to his death on Sunday after returning to his hotel in the early hours of the morning after a night out.

The teenager, from Llanelli, south Wales, worked as a customer care assistant for McDonald's at the town's Trostre Retail Park.

He had returned to his hotel in a taxi with friends at 3.45am on Sunday to discover they did not have enough money to pay the fare.

He left to go to his 10th floor room to get cash to pay the taxi driver, but never returned, the South Wales Evening Post reported today.

When his friends went to look for him they found his body on the ground below his room's balcony. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tribute was paid to the teenager tonight by a manager at the McDonald's outlet where he worked.

"We are extremely saddened by the news of the death of Liam Davies, known to McDonald's friends and colleagues as Shaun," said Ann Jones, business manager of the Llanelli restaurant.

"He was an extremely popular and well-liked member of the team and we are working to support our staff at this very difficult time."

A spokeswoman for travel firm Thomas Cook confirmed "the tragic death of Mr Liam Davies whilst on holiday in Bulgaria."

She added: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Liam's family and friends, and our team in resort are providing their total support during this very difficult time."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We can confirm a British national has died at the Sunny Beach resort, in Bulgaria.

"We are liaising with the authorities in the country and consular assistance is being offered."

PA