A YOUNG Burnley man who was overcoming his heroin problems was laid low by a childhood addiction to butane gas, an inquest heard.

The parents of Stephen James Gorton believed he had stopped abusing gas cannisters when he was 13 or 14, Burnley Coroner's Court was told.

But Mr Gorton, 25, of Lyndhurst Road, returned to sniffing butane shortly before his death on February 19.

His mother, Carol Duckworth, told the inquest that she had confronted him about his butane addiction when she found cannisters in his bedroom.

The hearing was told that Mr Gorton had also started suffering from symptoms of paranoia, similar to those he experienced as a youngster while sniffing gas.

Mrs Duckworth said she had an argument with her son about the abuse, after which he fled to his bedroom, where he started crying.

The inquest heard that the mother returned from a trip to Burnley town centre an hour later to find him dead, with a butane gas cannister tucked underneath his arm.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said it was apparent that the deceased had fought an addiction to heroin, with the help of his family.

Before his death he was on a methadone prescription of 90ml, the inquest heard.

Consultant pathologist Dr Zuhir Twage said the level of methadone in Mr Gorton's system, at the time of his death, was around twice the therapeutic dose. Further evidence of diazepam, and possibly cannabis, was found, along with traces of butane gas, he added.

Dr Twage confirmed that a drugs overdose, combined with butane toxicity, had caused the death.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor recorded an accidental verdict, saying he was satisfied Mr Gorton would not have appreciated the effects of taking the substances together, and had not intended to harm himself.

Mrs Duckworth added: “He would not have committed suicide because he loved life.

"He was a likeable lad.”