A Winchester heroin addict killed himself fearing he could be evicted from his home of 15 years.

Jan Sobolewski's inquest heard how his GP felt Winchester City Council and the other agencies he depended on could have done more to care for him in the weeks before his death.

A multi-agency review of his case has been launched. The body of Jan Sobolewski was found at his flat in Spicers Court, St Pauls Hill, on August 20 this year.

A post mortem concluded that the 64-year-old hanged himself and had alcohol and a variety of drugs in his system.

He had failed to appear before Basingstoke Magistrates the day before on a charge of possessing an offensive weapon, following an incident in which he had threatened noisy neighbours with a carving knife.

The court heard how Mr Sobolewski had ended up sleeping rough and on sofas last summer, as his bail conditions prevented him from living at his flat.

Police officer DS Heidi Boyd said Winchester City Council did not find him temporary housing while he awaited his appearance before magistrates.

"He hadn't lost his home. It was very difficult for them to organise alternative accommodation for him," she added.

The police officers who found his body had come to arrest Mr Sobolewski for not attending court.

Should he have received a prison sentence at the hearing, the addict had been told that he would be permanently evicted from his flat.

A statement by Mr Sobolewski's GP Dr Alex Fitzgerald-Barron, which was read to the court, said he felt Winchester City Council, the psychiatric services who dealt with him and the police could have done more to help a man who was deeply traumatised after being sexually abused as a child.

He also said he rang the council, telling them that they had an obligation to house such a vulnerable person.

Recording a suicide verdict senior Central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short said the doctor and others had tried hard to help Mr Sobolewski, but awaiting the outcome of the court case had been “the last straw” for him.

“I think this was a deliberate act,” he said.

“It's clear that he fell through the cracks in the system.

“We haven't called Winchester City Council and so we haven't heard their side of events.

“Clearly they were struggling with some of their procedures.”

Speaking after the inquest Winchester City Council Simon Eden said they were awaiting the results of the multi-agency review into Mr Sobolewski's death.

“It's too early to say whether we were struggling with our procedures,” he said.

“We are comfortable we did everything we could, working on police advice, to meet Mr Sobolewski's housing needs.”