A 41-year-old man from Accrington died a drug related death.

Ernest Cawdron, known as Ernie, was found dead on April 10, at a property in Pendle Street, Accrington.

An inquest in Blackburn heard that Mr Cawdron suffered from depression and had been dependant on drugs for a number of years.

Coroner Richard Taylor said: "He visited the home of a friend called John Gordon at about 7pm the day before his death.

"The two men had been using drugs and then Mr Cawdron began to feel unwell.

"The following morning he went outside for some fresh air and was coughing and spluttering and then collapsed."

Toxicology reports found there was heroin in Mr Cawdron's system as well as methadone, cocaine and diazepam.

Mr Taylor added: "The mixture of methadone and heroin may have increased the effects of the diazepam.

"And it was clear that he died from drug toxicity."

Speaking at the inquest, his mother, Patricia Taylor said that Mr Cawdron, who lived in Richmond Terrace, had drawn money out of his bank the night before his death in order to pay his dealer for drugs.

In a statement from Mr Gordon, which was read out in court, he said: "He turned up at my house on April 9 and was out of breath. I gave him my inhaler to get his breath back and asked if he had asthma and he said he might have.

"He said he'd not been like that before but had been feeling that way all day.

"Every now and then he would go to the back door to get some fresh air.

"We went out to an address I can't remember and then went to our drug dealers. I returned to the house at about 12.30am and he was already back and still out of breath."

Mr Gordon's statement went on to say that the two men took their drugs and chatted.

Mr Cawrdon then went to sit outside and fell to the floor and Mr Gordon knew something was wrong and called 999.

A syringe was found next to him and a blue pipe was discovered in his pocket.

Mrs Taylor said: "We knew it would be drugs. It would've happened to him eventually."

Mr Taylor recorded a drug related death conclusion.