BURNLEY man Shaun Holding died after injecting himself with strong painkillers prescribed to a friend an inquest was told.

East Lancashire Coroner David Smith was told that Mr Holding, 34, slept on the bedroom floor of his home in Eastham Street all night and day after a "mad do" on tablets.

Karen Holding, of Branch Road, Burnley, said she had stayed at her brother's home in Eastham Street since he was released from prison until he died on January 17.

He took a lot of drugs before he went to jail. He used to inject himself.

On January 16 they had both been out and when she returned he was at upstairs with a friend Peter Shackleton.

After briefly coming down to see his daughter he returned upstairs. He was "tagged" and about 8pm the security people came to see him.

Shaun was still upstairs asleep crouched like a ball on the floor. She saw two syringes one with blood in it and moved them because she did not want the "tagging folk" to see them. They checked him and left.

She later tried to waken Shaun. The following morning she went to ask him for some change but he was still asleep.

Later that afternoon she again went up to him and had a feeling something was wrong. A friend called the police.

When asked by the coroner whether she was not concerned he was not moving she said she just thought he was having a long rest after his time in jail.

She knew he had been out to buy tablets and assumed he had injected them. Pathologist Dr Abdul Al-Dawoud said cause of death was an overdose of Diconal tablets, a strong painkiller prescribed to people in severe pain.

Anthony Watson of Plumbe Street, Burnley, said he had called at the house asking for Shaun but was told he was in bed after a "mad do" on tablets.

Andrew Todd of Slaidburn Avenue, Burnley, said he had gone out with Shaun and Peter Shackleton. They had gone to a chemists' and got tablets prescribed to Peter.

He said: "He gave me some and he gave Shaun some. Shaun injected them into his groin after mixing them with water."

He spent half the night sleeping in the same room as Shaun. When he got up in the morning Shaun was snoring.

Mr Smith said he was not happy that police had not taken a statement from Peter Shackleton.

Shaun's family knew he had injected himself with some of Mr Shackleton's tablets.

Addressing the family he said: "You are satisfied that he injected himself and did so voluntarily. He may have got some tablets but he did not have to take them."

There was no question of him intending to take his own life. The substance he was using was potent and his time in prison had made him less tolerant.

He returned a verdict of misadventure.