A ONE-TIME heroin addict, who appeared to have beaten the habit following a residential rehab programme, died after sharing a Christmas Day 'fix' with a fellow user.

An inquest heard it was the second time in a week that Alec Richard Heaton had overdosed on heroin. But paramedics and doctors could do nothing to save him the second time and he was pronounced dead at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

He inquest heard that Mr Heaton, 42, who lived at Union House, St Peter Street, Blackburn, had gone through a residential rehabilitation programme in Lancaster. Sylvia Heaton, his mother, said he had been off drugs for two years.

She said she had seen her son in October when he again told her he was drug free, though still an alcoholic.

Lee Jones, a fellow resident at Union House, had found Mr Heaton collapsed outside room 28 on the Saturday before Christmas.

He told the inquest that Mr Heaton was not using drugs when he first met him but things had changed.

"He had taken an overdose with some other people on that Saturday," said Mr Jones.

He said Mr Heaton was discharged from hospital after treatment and on the Sunday they had been talking. Mr Heaton had said he was having problems with his wife.

"He didn't like that because he wanted to make things up with her and he started talking about doing himself some harm," said Mr Jones. "I told him he was being stupid."

On Christmas Day Mr Heaton had joined other residents for Christmas Dinner at about 3.30pm. Mr Jones said he appeared normal. At about 5.30pm he heard a bang outside his room and found Mr Heaton collapsed and in difficulty.

Det Con Martin Rushton, who investigated the incident, said room 28 was occupied by a man called John Mulchrone, whom he questioned.

Mr Mulchrone revealed that Mr Heaton had gone out after Christmas Dinner and returned with some heroin. They shared it out and Mr Mulchrone took his first. He left before Mr Heaton took his.

A post-mortem examination revealed injection marks in Mr Heaton's arms, hands and right foot. Blood tests showed a moderate alcohol level and similar heroin level.

The report said the central effects of heroin were aggravated by alcohol and the medical cause of death was given as toxicity of the two substances.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, coroner Michael Singleton said that despite previous incidences of self-harm and the overdose just days before his death, it was significant that Mr Heaton had shared his heroin with a friend.

"Had he been making a deliberate attempt on his own life, he would have kept it to himself."