A MAN was found dead at a homeless hostel after staff conducting three earlier checks failed to spot his body, an inquest was told.

James Daniels, 28, died a month after being given a room at Patrick House in Milbrook Road West, Southampton, where each resident is visited twice a day.

Michael Flowers, a relief worker at the hostel, said he found Mr Daniels’s body lying on the floor in November last year.

But the inquest heard that he had not been seen for almost 40 hours, during which time three earlier welfare checks had been carried out.

Area coroner Jason Pegg said: “On three occasions someone went to his room, knocked on the door, got no answer, went inside and didn’t see James.”

Mr Pegg said he could only speculate on why no-one spotted the body but said the clutter between Mr Daniels and the door “may provide an explanation”.

Mr Daniels was last seen alive on November 13, when he was caught on CCTV as he walked to his room at 6.43pm.

His body was eventually found on the morning on November 15.

His mother, Shelley Daniels, said staff should have raised the alarm after the earlier checks. She also complained about the “lack of empathy” shown towards the family after her son’s death.

A post-mortem examination showed he died of bronchopneumonia and sudden onset cardiac arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat linked to his misuse of drugs.

Mr Pegg said Mr Daniels had been a high-achieving teenager who once harboured hopes of joining the Royal Navy.

But he added: “At the age of 15 his life started to take a downward turn. He was subsequently diagnosed with bi-polar and post traumatic stress disorder.”

He recorded a conclusion that Mr Daniels died as a result of drug misuse.