A "happy-go-lucky" 38-year-old man who was "loved" died after taking a number of drugs, an inquest has heard.

Dean Brian Tildsley, who lived on Higher Market Street in Farnworth, was found dead at a property on Car Bank Street in Atherton on May 1 this year.

A statement read at Bolton Coroners' Court by Coroner Robert Struckman from Mr Tildsley’s mother described him as a “happy-go-lucky” person, who “loved gardening, fishing and music” but struggled with a “lack of money” throughout his life.

She said that he was “loved” and “will be sadly missed” by his family and friends.

Mr Tildsley, who was unemployed, was staying with his long-term partner, Alexandra Buckley at the time of his death.

He had previously been diagnosed with drug and drink psychosis and was believed to suffer from borderline personality disorder.

The couple, along with a friend, returned to the Atherton property at around midnight on May 1 via a taxi after a day of shopping.

A statement from Ms Buckley detailed how Mr Tildsley “stumbled” to the bedroom and “fell asleep”, while she and her friend stayed awake.

After her friend departed, Ms Buckley went to the bedroom at around 3.30am to find Mr Tildsley was asleep.

She woke up around three hours later to find Mr Tildsley “in the same place” and noted that he was “not the same colour as the night before”.

She then noted his “stomach wasn’t moving” and he was “cold to touch” before alerting a neighbour, who called an ambulance and began attempting CPR.

Despite attempts from paramedics, Mr Tildsley was pronounced dead.

Detective Sergeant Sean Goodard, who reported that medication was seized from the property, said “there were no obvious signs of potential overdose or criminality".

A report from forensic toxicologist Hassan Kurimbokus found traces of the medicine pregabalin, morphine/ heroin, diazepam, cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine were found in Mr Tildsley’s system at the time of his death.

Mr Kurimbokus said that while the doses of each substance were not at concentrations that could cause death in the absence of other drugs, a combined use of these is likely to cause a depression on the central nervous system that could cause respiratory depression.

The inquest also heard that Mr Tildsley was in regular contact with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and he had claimed he was “hearing voices that were getting to him” in the months leading up to his death, although he denied experiencing any ideas of suicide.

At one appointment with the trust, Mr Tildsley reportedly said that the “voices told him to do things to himself and children, and he was on the verge of acting on these impulses as no one was listening".

Mr Struckman concluded that Mr Tildsley died from combined drug toxicity after “taking numerous types of substance of his own will, with no evidence of self-harm or suicide".

He added: “I send my deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of Mr Tildsley.”