A KEEN sportsman who died at the age of 31 faced a constant battle with pain after suffering from a rare syndrome that meant he dislocated his knee around 40 times a day.

Chris Ashton lived much of his adult life in pain and discomfort, barely able to sleep, after snapping knee ligaments when playing football when he was 17.

When he went to hospital, doctors discovered that Mr Ashton, of Bank Fold, Barrowford, suffered from rare Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which means sufferers have very loose joints.

Mr Ashton, who worked for Pendle Council, underwent several operations from the countries top surgeons but they were unable to properly repair his knee.

Mum Christine told an inquest into his death: “He had a very tough time of things. He didn’t know anything about it until he snapped his cruciate ligament at 17.

“It left him in constant pain and he would dislocate his knee more than 40 times a day just by the smallest movements.

“The pain was so severe he couldn’t sleep, he just didn’t sleep at all.”

The former Fisher More High School, Colne, pupil, was a keen sportsman before being diagnosed with the syndrome.

Mrs Ashton said: “Despite all this he battled on and managed to hold down a good job, I don’t know how he kept going.”

Around three years ago Mr Ashton started suffering from fits as a result of his illness.

Mrs Ashton said: “He had about four fits in the two years before his death. He went very, very blue after the last one about six months before he died.

“He was very reluctant to acknowledge that he was having fits, he said they were just blackouts.”

Dr Abdul Al-Daoud, consultant pathologist at Burnley General Hospital, said he believed Mr Ashton had died as a result of having a fit.

He was found in bed by his brother Paul in August last year.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.