CCTV footage has shown that Justin Pace, 21, did not die after he was pushed by a friend, but collapsed on his own, police sources told The Malta Independent.

The Times on Tuesday quoted Pace’s family members as saying that the young man was “pushed to the ground” while fooling around with his friends.

But police sources confirmed that footage from CCTV cameras shows that nobody was near Pace when he collapsed and hit his head on the ground.

The sources said that the footage is not grainy as The Times is reporting and that it gives a clear indication of what took place.

The accident happened in Nigret, in the limits of Zurrieq, on Sunday afternoon. The man was taken to hospital where he died later.

Other sources confirmed to The Malta Independent that the autopsy showed that Pace had suffered a heart attack which led to his collapse.

Pace's funeral was held yesterday.

In a post on Facebook, his girlfriend Kimberly wrote that although Justin "is no longer with us", his presence will continue to be felt. She had told The Times that when the accident took place she was playing with her mobile phone when she heard a thud. "We placed him in a recovery position but he was completely unresponsive," she said.