A HAMPSHIRE man was found dead after falling into a scalding hot bath, an inquest heard.

But Ivor Sheen, 69, was most likely dead before he hit the water due to a heart attack, according to a post-mortem.

Medical evidence revealed Mr Sheen, of Cloughs Road, Ringwood, had a long history of alcohol abuse and had been drinking heavily the night of his death.

Pathologist Dr Sanjay Jogai, of University Hospital Southampton, said the fall was probably brought on by the effect of chronic alcohol problems on his heart and ruled out drowning.

He said: “It’s likely when he dropped in the water that he was already dead at that point in time. He did not have the capacity to switch the tap off and if he had been alive there would have been some sign of a struggle.”

He was found on October 14 by his niece Alison Benham.

But Coroner Keith Wiseman said it was impossible to be sure of what happened and recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: “Although it’s a rather unusual event I suspect he was prone to something going wrong medically because of the way he had been living.”