A 40-year-old man was found dead following a methadone overdose, an inquest heard.

Bolton Coroner's Court heard how John Lee Merga was found by staff at approximately 5pm on March 19 in his room at Queens Park View care home, on Park Road, where he had been living for eight years.

Despite the efforts of the North West Ambulance Service, he couldn't be revived.

A toxicology report found that Mr Merga had 0.11mg of methadone in his blood.

The court head that this volume of methadone can cause toxicity in someone with a low tolerance for the substance.

Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand told the court that Mr Merga had a history of drugs abuse, however he had been clean for eight years.

Registered mental health nurse Kate Hulme told the court that no-one at the care home was being prescribed methadone at the time.

Mr Merga had been discharged from hospital two days before where he had received painkillers.

Mr Brennand concluded that this was a "drugs related death" and that there were "no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement."

He said:"At some point between 2pm and 5pm on March 19 he acquired and took the methadone.

"This caused his breathing to become shallower, leading to organ failure and death.

"Therefore a methadone overdose is the only appropriate conclusion.

"The real tragedy for the family was that he had been clean for eight years, and that this was the cause of his death."