A DRUG user was found dead in his chair after taking heroin the previous night, an inquest heard.

Bernard Tennant, 47, was discovered the day before his birthday at his home in Hunslet Street, Burnley, the town’s coroner’s court was told.

The inquest heard that Mr Tennant’s friend, Lee Sharp, had been in hospital for two days when he went to the property.

The front door was open, as was often said to be the case, and Mr Sharp let himself into the house. He called out for his friend but received no response.

Moments later he discovered Mr Tennant sitting upright in a chair and it was clear he was dead, the court was told. An ambulance was called and paramedics confirmed the death.

The court heard a post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Muamar Al-Mudhaffer showed Mr Tennant had toxic levels of heroin in his system.

Mr Tennant, who suffered from Hepatitis C and COPD, also had traces of diazepam and methadone, in samples taken, which may have exacerbated the effects of the heroin.

East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor recorded a drugs toxicity conclusion.