A ‘kind, loving and caring’ football fan tragically died after falling down the stairs, an inquest heard.

Mark Maringo, from Great Harwood, had been out playing snooker and having a drink with his friends his local pub on Sunday September 15, the hearing was told.

The Liverpool supporter, 55, returned home at some point on the Sunday evening but, when he didn’t arrive for work the following day, his brother Anthony went round to his house and found him collapsed at the bottom of the stairs.

Coroner Richard Taylor told the inquest: “Mark was last seen by work colleagues on Saturday September 14 at 3pm, when he left work.

“He didn’t arrive for work on the Monday so, at around 12pm, his brother went to his home on Cambridge Street and found him at the bottom of the stairs.

“It was clear that he had passed away and emergency services were called.”

A report from consultant radiologist Dr Simon Beardmore said Mr Maringo had died from a bleed on the brain caused by a head injury.

Mr Taylor continued: “Toxicology results showed there was alcohol in his system, around twice the drink drive limit which isn’t an enormous amount.”

The inquest then heard that Mr Maringo, a glazier, had hit his head at work the previous week and had been complaining of headaches.

Mr Maringo’s partner, Andrea Walsh, told the inquest: “Mark wasn’t someone who would go to the doctor or the dentist and wouldn’t like to make a fuss over anything.

“He said he’d banged his head at work and had a bad headache but that was that. He didn’t make a big deal out of it. I had texted him the night before to say goodnight but he didn’t reply.”

The inquest heard how Mr Maringo had been looking forward to holidaying in Florida with Ms Walsh’s father and was in good spirits when with his friends on that Sunday afternoon.

Mr Taylor said: “It’s likely that when he fell he banged his head.

“He has suffered an unwitnessed fall that was clearly an accident.

“I return a conclusion of accidental death and say Mark was found dead at his home from an injury sustained in a fall down the stairs.”

His family, who were present at the inquest, gave a statement in tribute to Mr Maringo saying: “Mark was a kind, loving and caring person who will be sadly missed by all his family and friends.”