A SOUTHAMPTON man who was undergoing treatment for mental health problems died after taking a mixture of prescribed and illegal drugs, an inquest heard.

Adrian Boalch, of Orchard Lane, had a long history of drug abuse and was receiving treatment for paranoid schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, the hearing was told.

The 40-year-old regularly saw Dr David Dayson, consultant psychiatrist for Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, who said at the last appointment in November last year he seemed cheerful and upbeat.

He said Mr Boalch regularly used cannabis to calm his anxiety.

His mother Gillian Bennett, who lives in Shropshire, spoke to him on January 22 but said she couldn’t contact him after he abruptly ended the phone call.

She called police, who broke into the flat and found him dead on January 25.

Dr Eleanor Jaynes, consultant histopathologist at Southampton General Hospital, said Mr Boalch died from heart failure caused by heart disease and mixed drug use, including heroin, crack cocaine and amphetamines.

Senior coroner for central Hampshire Grahame Short ruled a verdict of drug related death.