A MAN died after injecting himself with methadone which formed a lethal cocktail with alcohol, sleeping pills and anti-depressants, an inquest was told.

And members of Simon Peter Hitchen's family told the inquest they believed it had been his way of trying to get re-admitted to the psychiatric unit at Queen's Park Hospital.

The inquest heard that Simon, 28, had been in the unit for assessment after becoming depressed when his girlfriend finished with him before Christmas.

He had returned to injecting amphetamine and his sister Sarah, of Wilson Street, Clitheroe, said he started to suffer violent mood swings.

Simon had been living at her house but left and she eventually received a call from the police to say he had taken some kind of overdose.

Simon was taken to Queen's Park Hospital and while he was there he took another overdose, slit his wrists with a razor blade and had to be physically stopped from jumping out of a window.

Sarah said she had been surprised to receive a phone call to say Simon had been assessed as having no psychiatric problems.

She insisted on a second opinion but after a further week Simon was discharged from hospital and eventually ended up in the Police Street hostel in Darwen.

"I feel that Simon was desperately looking for help," said Sarah. "He thought he could not get any help because he wasn't a heroin addict and that is why he took the methadone."

Recording a verdict of misadventure coroner Michael Singleton said he was not satisfied that Simon had intended to take his own life.

"I accept that this was more likely to be an attempt to seek help by gaining admission to the psychiatric ward at Queens Park Hospital," said Mr Singleton.