A TEN-year-old boy found the body of his dad at his home in Nelson, an inquest was told.

Jeffrey Thomas, 37, had been bleeding heavily and his face was covered in black and blue bruising.

The grim discovery by his son, Leonard, in Lowther Street, on September 18, sparked a major police investigation.

At first it was thought Mr Thomas may have been the victim of an assault. It was known that some weeks earlier, at the Colne Blues Festival weekend, he was hit on the head in an axe attack.

But at an inquest in Burnley, his mum, Marjorie, of Swinden Hall Road, Nelson and his sister, Deborah Banks, of Devon Place, Nelson, were told Mr Thomas had died from a methadone overdose and had not been assaulted.

Home Office pathologist Dr William Lawler said Mr Thomas had been dead for some time and the marks seen were not injuries but changes which occurred in every body after death.

Analysis had shown that the cause of death was an overdose of heroin substitute methadone.

Dr Lawler said he had been made aware of the axe attack and that played no part in his death.

Paul Broadbent, also of Lowther Street, said Jeffrey had been to his house for a meal on September 15, when he said he had been saving his tranquillisers to have a binge.

Mr Broadbent added: "He did not seem to be depressed. He was full of the future." Detective Inspector David Lea said senior officers were brought in following the discovery of Mr Thomas's body.

"I am happy there are no suspicious circumstances," he added.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, East Lancashire Coroner David Smith, said there was no evidence that he intended to end his own life. It seemed he had saved up quite a quantity of methadone and taken too much.

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