A MENTALLY ill man died in a Blackpool street surrounded by people after taking an overdose of sleeping pills, an inquest heard last Thursday.

Anthony Terence Horne, 36, of Central Drive, Blackpool, died on August 5 last year, slumped in the driver's seat of his father's car while it was parked outside a friend's flat on St Heliers Road, Blackpool.

According to witnesses, neighbours were enjoying a drink in the sunshine when they saw Mr Horne, known as 'Buddy', stumble from his friend's flat into his father's Vauxhall car.

He started the car and it lurched into a parked BMW. Its owners, believing Mr Horne to be under the influence of drugs, removed his car keys and left him to 'sleep it off'.

They later told Blackpool PC Simon Unsworth about the bump, but when he attended the scene he found no evidence that Mr Horne had taken drink or drugs, and left him 'snoring loudly'.

A post mortem examination showed that Mr Horne, who was obese, was probably struggling to breathe because of his weight - around 19 stone - and the way he slumped to one side after taking around eight Zopiclone sleeping pills.

Some neighbours became increasingly concerned about Mr Horne's poor breathing and he was also seen 'going blue'. But by the time an ambulance was called paramedics were unable to resuscitate Mr Horne and he was pronounced dead at 3:59pm.

The court heard how Mr Horne moved to Blackpool from Leicester to be closer to his parents. He had suffered from mental illness since 1996. He complained of hearing voices and believed the devil was talking to him. He was diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia and had an 'anti-social personality' and was a voluntary patient at Blackpool's Parkwood Hospital. On the morning of his death, Mr Horne had visited the unit. Staff recalled he was 'in good spirits' and spoke of going to Leicester to attempt a reconciliation with his ex-girlfriend.

His mother Rose Horne, who was present at the inquest, said her son had attempted suicide on several occasions but that she believed these had been 'cries for help'.

The coroner said evidence also referred to Mr Horne taking tablets simply for 'a good sleep'.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, Blackpool and Fylde Coroner Ann Hind, said: "There were at least a dozen people who could have called for an ambulance before PC Unsworth even arrived on the scene."

She added: "I certainly think he intended to take the tablets, I don't believe he intended the outcome as the amount was too low to be certain of the outcome. I think it's more likely that he desperately needed 'a good sleep'."