A FORMER merchant seaman was found dead in his Darwen home only days before his 94th birthday after a worried neighbour alerted police.

Pensioner Harry Walsh, of Ivinson Road, had died in front of his gas fire and his body was so badly affected by heat and decomposition it was impossible to say how his death occurred, an inquest heard. Neighbour Sheila Haworth said she had known Mr Walsh for four years and became friendly with him because he did not seem to have anyone to look after him.

She said she would run errands for him and take him shopping.

Mrs Haworth said once a month the pensioner would go out drinking all day in local pubs. On the Friday before he died, she left him in Darwen after a shopping trip and took his groceries home for him. Just after midnight on the Saturday he came home and told her he could not find his key.

She said: "He was in a drunken state. His mouth was bleeding and there was blood on his jumper. I asked him if he had fallen again and he said he had." The neighbour told assistant coroner John Birch she helped him inside and sat him down. She put the gas fire on full, gave him a pie to eat and left him at about 1am. She became worried when she did not see him over the next few days and could not got an answer at the door.

On the Thursday she looked through the living room curtains, saw his body on the floor and called the police, who broke in.

PC Stephen Barker said the gas fire was still on full and the body had started to decompose.

Home Office pathologist Dr William Lawler, said there was no evidence of external injuries and tests ruled out any defects in the gas fire.

He told Mr Birch: "This is one of those instances where the changes that have occurred in the body have obscured the pathological findings.

"I can't find any cause of death, but there is nothing to suggest that any other person was involved or that this was anything other than death from natural causes."

Mr Birch recorded a verdict of death from natural causes.

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