STEPHEN Michael Walsh lost his job and his partner of 14 years because of alcohol.

And an inquest heard that a combination of alcohol and heroin finally cost the heating engineer his life.

Mr Walsh, 41, was found dead at his home in Thompson Street, Darwen, with an open can of Special Brew on the table.

Toxicological tests later showed the presence of moderate levels of both alcohol and heroin.

But the pathologist reported that alcohol enhanced the effects of morphine and that death was due to the toxic effects of the two substances.

Doris Thompson, Mr Walsh's partner for 14 years, said he had always enjoyed his job but as a result of his problem with alcohol he was laid off two years ago.

She said he had always been a drinker but it had never stopped him going to work.

After he was laid off he began to drink more heavily and Mrs Thompson said things went downhill from there.

She said Mr Walsh's personality changed as he began to suffer ill-health as a result of excessive drinking and she believed that in the last 12 months of his life he began to take drugs.

Mrs Thompson eventually moved out of the house they shared, although she remained on reasonable terms with Mr Walsh.

Gary Winfield, a friend for over 16 years, said that in the last four weeks he noticed his friend was not eating properly and his health seemed to be suffering.

On one occasion Mr Winfield was walking his dogs when he found Mr Walsh spreadeagled on the ground at the bottom of his street.

"Over the next few weeks I took him to my house for food because I knew he was spending most of his money on drink," said Mr Winfield.

On Saturday, April 21, he called round to see if Mr Walsh wanted to go round to his house to listen to the Blackburn Rovers match on the radio but found him slumped in an armchair.

Paramedics confirmed that he was dead.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, deputy coroner Carolyn Singleton said she had no reason to think Mr Walsh had intended to take his own life.