PEOPLE living in a Rossendale village fear residents have died after being poisoned by flood water, an inquest heard.

Franklin Bottomley told the hearing into the death of his friend, Desmond Walton, that four people living in a block of five homes in Edgemoor Close, Shawforth, had died following floods which hit the area last July.

Mr Bottomley said people in the village feared contam-inated water had killed people.

However, East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor recorded a verdict of death by natural causes after he heard heavy drinker, Mr Walton, 57, had a long history of angina, had to stop to catch his breath while crossing the road and pathologist Dr Walid Salman said he probably died from a heart problem.

Mr Bottomley told the inquest his friend, who would stay up all night watching TV and eating, became distressed after being forced to move out of his flat for several weeks following the flood.

He said although the whole road was affected the water which flooded the flats in which Mr Walton lived had flowed through a farm yard.

Mr Bottomley said: "There concern about the water that came off the moor. It was not just ordinary flood water, it was full of sewage.

"He got the stuff that came off the hills and through the farm yard with all the animal waste in it. The smell was horrendous.

"Out of the five houses, four of them have died."

Following the floods Mr Walton was found dead in bed at his home by a warden on August 7, after not been seen by friends for several days, the hearing at Burnley Magistrates Court was told.

Dr Salman said Mr Walton had been dead for at least three days and his body had deteriorated making a post-mortem examination more difficult.

He told the court it was difficult to take any fluids from Mr Walton's body for tests but because of his enlarged heart the probable cause of death was a heart-related condition.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said there was always concern when homes flooded. He added: "It has to be something I will need to look out for if I get a number of deaths from this incident.

"But in Mr Walton's case I find a gentleman who was quite poorly. The doctor believes the cause of death was something heart related. I will follow the doctor's advice."