A PENSIONER who was lonely after his wife died swallowed eight times the fatal dose of an antidepressant.

The family of John Chadwick were shocked to hear at his inquest at Rawtenstall that he also had taken a large quantity of alcohol.

Mr Chadwick, 70, of Spring Bank, Whitworth, lived close to his son Clifford, of Acre Street.

He said: "My father did not get over his wife's death and he became depressed when he was by himself."

But he said he had seen his father the night before he was found dead on April 15 and he had been talking of coming to their house for tea that day.

He said: "He seemed perfectly normal on Saturday night although he had complained to my wife about having some pains in his chest."

Mr Chadwick and his brother called police and broke into their father's house when his curtains were found to be still closed at 11am. They found him dead in his bedroom.

A note was found in the kitchen and empty tablet containers, some of which had been prescribed to his wife, were found in the house.

Pathologist Dr WD Salman gave the cause of death as an overdose of antidepressants and alcohol.

East Lancashire coroner David Smith recorded an open verdict and he told the family: "He obviously was lonely and was a bit down but there is no evidence that he wanted to end his own life because he was making arrangements to go to your house on Sunday."