POLICE investigating the death of a Hampshire teenager after a university night out are to carry out further tests to discover whether the youngster died following a drinking binge.

Former King Edward VI School pupil Gavin Britton, 18, was found dead after attending a fancy dress party with fellow students from Exeter University.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious but are trying to trace a group he was with on the night as part of their investigation. Gavin's parents have travelled to Exeter to identify his body.

Det Sgt Leon Lazarczyk, of Exeter CID, said: "The post-mortem was conducted today and the cause of death has not been determined and will be subject to further testing.

"Samples are being sent off to a toxicologist to establish the cause of death. I don't know how long that will take.

"It's just an unfortunate tragedy. We are now conducting an investigation on behalf of the coroner.

"We are still trying to make contact with the group he was with on the night before he was found."

Shocked students were told of Gavin's death in an e-mail circulated by the university's head of undergraduate studies.

Gavin, of Barton on Sea in the New Forest, had been at the school of business and economics at the university for only two months. As a result of his death, Exeter University will be increasing alcohol awareness talks at the halls of residence where Gavin was staying.

Abigail Dixon, a spokeswoman for Exeter University, said: "There will be some extra guidance at the halls of residence this week. We will be showing the students the support that's available to them."

Friends have left tributes to the popular teen on MySpace alongside pictures he had posted of himself drinking.

Ben Rogers, president of Southampton University's Student Union, said that news of the death had spread quickly and many students were shocked and upset.

He said: "His death was a tragedy but at the student union I'm confident we already doing enough to prevent binge drinking."

An inquest is to be opened this week but is likely to be adjourned pending the coroner's report.