THE discovery of the body of a 57-year-old man in the front garden of a Darwen house sparked a full-scale police inquiry, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told that a top Home Office forensic pathologist was called in after the body of Thomas James Goodson was discovered by a man returning home from the pub.

But subsequent tests showed the man had died as a result of a lethal mix of alcohol and medication prescribed for depression.

And Dr Charles Wilson said he believed Mr Goodson may also have suffered airway obstruction as a result of the position he was in after falling over a garden wall last November.

The inquest heard that Mr Goodson, of Joseph Street, Darwen, had an alcohol level of over three times the drink drive limit and blood samples showed the drug diazepam.

Dr Wilson said the levels of each separately would not pose a risk but together the effects could be amplified.

He said Mr Goodson was found lying with his feet on a low garden wall and his head resting on a window casement. Blood found at the scene had come from a superficial graze on his hand.

Jason Redmayne, of Bank Street, Darwen, told the inquest he was returning from the pub at around midnight and found Mr Goodson's body in his front garden.

"He looked like he had fallen face first over the wall," said Mr Redmayne.

Mr Goodson's estranged wife, Gale Burdett, told the inquest that she had started divorce proceedings against her husband at the time of his death. The separation had been partly because of his drinking, which also led to depression.

"It became a vicious circle," said Miss Burdett.

"The more he drank the more depressed he became, the greater his problems appeared and the more he drank. It just got worse and worse."

The cause of death was given as diazepam and alcohol toxicity and coroner Michael Singleton recorded misadventure verdict.