An Abbots Langley man died from his dependent abuse of drugs a coroner ruled today.

Mr Clifford Jones, 45, of Spur Close, was found dead in his home on his sofa by a friend on August 22.

Police called to the scene discovered numerous drug paraphernalia spread around a table close to the body.

Mr Jones, who lived with his girlfriend, was a known drug user and had recently served a prison sentence.

Coroner Graham Danbury said: “Mr Jones was released from prison in early August, where it is believed he had abstained from drugs during his time there.

“He was admitted to Watford General Hospital on August 18, following an overdose of prescribed and non-prescribed drugs and recovered from this.

“Although some after-care was suggested for Mr Jones, he did not take this up.

"Friends have said that after his overdose he had approached them on numerous occasions asking for money for food.”

A post mortem carried out by Dr Matilda Fajinmi disclosed that Mr Jones had high levels of cocaine and morphine in his blood stream.

Dr Fajinmi stated that she believed the cause of death was due to multi-substance abuse.

Coroner Graham Danbury said: “According to Mr Jones’s medical notes, he’d had three overdoses in the past six years.

"It is clear that Mr Jones had a serious dependency on drugs."

The Coroner explained that to retake drugs after a period of abstinence, as Mr Jones did following his time in prison, can be fatal.

Coroner Graham Danbury said: “I am ruling that Mr Jones died from dependent abuse of drugs, with a cause of multi-substance abuse, in this case cocaine and morphine.”