A WORKER at a herbal supplements supplier died after taking an overdose of caffeine in a 'prank gone wrong', an inquest heard.

John Michael English was found dead at his home in Blackburn just hours after swallowing 20 caffeine tablets at Arbor Vita in Darwen.

At the inquest, his mother Jacqueline English described her son’s death as a terrible accident.

The Blackburn Town Hall inquest heard the 30-year-old, of Shorrock Lane, took the tablets at his employer's Railway Road warehouse on May 1.

He also had high levels of amphetamine in his bloodstream, the hearing was told.

Mr English’s colleagues later discovered the caffeine tablets, each 1000mg in size, were dangerous and begged him to go to hospital.

The inquest heard he ignored the concerns of his colleagues and drove home. He was found dead at his home later that day.

Following his death police found traces of white powder, amphetamine, in Mr English’s pockets.

Edward Betts, who worked at Arbor Vita, told the inquest Mr English showed him the bottle of caffeine tablets and he then opened it and swallowed the contents.

He added: “I went online to see if there were any problems with the substance and saw it was really dangerous.

“John threw the bottle in the bin and I counted there had been 20 capsules in there. I knew it was bad.

“I begged him to go to hospital but he wouldn’t listen and drove off home.”

The court heard it was not the first time Mr English had consumed products at the company – and had done it previously as a joke.

Mr Betts added: “John was not averse to trying out the products.

“He would take a couple of capsules at a time as a joke or in front of members of staff.

“At the time I didn’t think it was a good idea but John didn’t try to harm himself on purpose.

“He did it because he was a joker.

“He was the life and soul of the party.”

Toxicology tests found levels of caffeine and amphetamine in Mr English’s blood system which contributed to his death.

Recording a verdict of misadventure coroner Richard Taylor said: “John English had taken high doses of caffeine and amphetamine which are fatal in their own right but taken together caused a significant problem for him.

“There was no evidence to suggest he had intended to kill himself.”