A 34-YEAR-OLD man was found dead in his flat after taking cocaine an inquest heard.

Christopher Mason was discovered in his room in Hollin Bank Court, Bolton Road, Blackburn, by his flatmate Christopher Cook on August 21.

Coroner Michael Singleton heard Mr Mason wasn’t a drug addict and the incident highlighted the dangers of cocaine.

Mr Singleton said: “The medical cause of death was cocaine toxicity. It was a cardiac arrhythmia that led to his death.

“It is clear Christopher is not what I would understand to be a drug addict, just someone who from time to time had some cocaine.

“Young people who take cocaine have little idea of the actual risk they take. This is an absolute tragedy.”

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Mental health carer Mr Mason was last seen by on Friday, August 19 by his room-mate when he ‘bobbed his head in the kitchen’ to see him.

After Mr Mason’s mother Denise became concerned she hadn’t spoke to him and he wasn’t answering his phone, Mr Cook went to check on him.

The inquest heard it was then that he discovered Mr Mason’s body.

Mr Cook said: “He was just laid in his bed in a pair of shorts not moving.

“I left the room then went back in when I was on the phone to the paramedics and it was then that I realised he had died.”

Mr Mason had been living with Mr Cook since around July after he got in contact with his friend looking for somewhere to live.

Mr Cook said that he was aware that Mr Mason took drugs when he moved in.

He said: “I knew he took a bit of cocaine and smoked cannabis. He wasn’t a raging drug addict.”

A post mortem examination was carried out by Dr Muammer Al-Mudhaffer who found Mr Mason was likely to have died on August 19.

He said that the post mortem, alongside evidence of cocaine usage, showed traces of cannabis and anti-depressants. However no ‘convincing evidence’ was found that Mr Mason suffered a heart attack.

Dr Al-Mudhaffer said: “Mr Mason had used cocaine and had a historic use of anti-depressants and cannabis.

“The death had resulted from cocaine usage.”

Mr Singleton said: “There is evidence he was taking cocaine close before death, which can lead to an irregular heartbeat.”