A Ramsbottom man was found slumped over the wheel of a digger at his place of work having suffered a cardiac arrest, an inquest has heard.

Benjamin Campbell, 31, was discovered by work colleagues at a building site in Whitworth on the morning of November 11.

Preston Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Campbell, of Bolton Road West, Ramsbottom, had recently started taking steroids purchased from a bodybuilding shop and that he had been using cocaine at the time of his death.

Mr Campbell, who worked as a groundworker at the building site, arrived at work as normal on November 11 at around 7.30am.

He was driving a digger that was carrying soil but was told it was not needed at the time, so he parked up the machine.

Around 20 minutes later, he was found slumped over the steering wheel by colleagues.

They commenced CPR and an ambulance was contacted but Mr Campbell’s death was confirmed at 9am.

Dr Mark Sissons, who conducted the post-mortem examination, believed the use of anabolic steroids and cocaine together caused acute cardiac failure.

Concluding the inquest, Coroner Mr Richard Taylor record a conclusion of misadventure, saying there was “nothing to suggest anything other than that”.

He said Mr Campbell died “from a cardiac event following the ingestion of cocaine and steroids.”