Top Gun director Tony Scott's suicide confirmed by Los Angeles coroner

Tony Scott jumped to his death from a bridge over Los Angeles Harbour (PA)

Top Gun filmmaker Tony Scott's death was suicide a Los Angeles coroner has ruled.

Preliminary autopsy results confirmed that Scott's death, which baffled investigators and much of Hollywood, was a suicide, caused by blunt force trauma and drowning.

Tests showed "theraputic levels" of the antidepressant Mirtazapine and sleeping medication Lunesta.

Broadcaster ABC reported soon after Scott's death on 19 August that Scott had killed himself while suffering from inoperable brain cancer.

The coroner quashed this speculation by making it clear Scott was not suffering from any serious illness, including cancer, when he jumped from Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles.

Scott's widow Donna Wilson had previously dismissed the claims that her husband was suffering from incurable brain cancer as "absolutely false".

ABC News subsequently backtracked with another article headlined "Tony Scott Brain Cancer Report Appears in Doubt".

Scott, the younger brother of fellow director Ridley, whose films include Blade Runner and Gladiator, was working on the sequel to the Tom Cruise-led Top Gun at the time of his death.

Scott was also due to direct Narco Sub and Lucky Stripe, both of which were in advanced development, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with a remake of The Wild Bunch also mooted.

The final coroner's report will be published in two weeks.