A “SUICIDAL” man who had 10 different substances in his body died a drug-related death, a coroner ruled.

An inquest at Barrow Town Hall heard Lee Johnson was found dead in his flat in Hartington Street, Barrow, on December 15 last year.

The 49-year-old was said to have taken substances including heroin shortly before he died.

The inquest heard Mr Johnson had a history of drug abuse and mental illness, suffering from schizophrenia.

Assistant Coroner Paul O'Donnell said doctors had frequently reported that Mr Johnson was struggling with hearing voices of "people out to get him".

It was also revealed he visited accident and emergency seven times in nine days claiming overdoses of paracetamol, only to be turned away by hospital staff who said his use of the medicine stopped short of excessive.

The inquest heard he was found dead by his flatmate Faizal Ahmed, with packaged needles close to him.

Six police officers attended his flat.

PC Jane Addison said: "We were called to a report of a suspicious death believed to be drug-related."

A toxicology report found heroin in his system as well as cocaine and methadone. 

Concluding it was a drug-related death rather than a suicide Mr O'Donnell said: "The levels of these drugs inside him were likely to have been fatal.

"He suffered from mental illness and experienced suicidal thoughts.

"He increasingly reported to doctors that he could not cope with the condition.

"But it is my conclusion that he died a drug-related death."

He previously received mental health treatment at the Yewdale Ward in Whitehaven and the Hadrian Ward in Carlisle.

There have been a number of deaths in Barrow as a result of drug overdoses in the past year.

The latest data showed there have been 12 drug deaths in the town since December.