A scaffolder was found dead in a bathroom after taking a heroin overdose, an inquest heard.

Former drug addict Paul Evans, 32, of Warningcamp, Arundel, died after taking a large amount of the illegal class A drug and alcohol.

West Sussex coroner Roger Stone, at a hearing at Chichester Magistrates Court, ruled death had been due to "non-dependant abuse of drugs".

Mr Evans had completed a drug rehabilitation course just weeks before.

Detective Constable Joanne French, of Bognor CID, said she was called to a block of flats in Stocker Road, Bognor, on December 27 last year, where a body had been found in a communal toilet.

She said: "I saw a white male, who was obvious to me as being deceased, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet."

Hypodermic needles and Mr Evans' mobile phone were found in a flat belonging to his friend Adrian Simonds, 42, during a police search.

In a police statement, Mr Simonds said Mr Evans had visited on Boxing Day and they had drunk together.

Mr Simonds, who admitted to having used drugs for several years, said he went to sleep and did not remember Mr Evans taking drugs at his flat.

He later discovered Mr Evans' body and called the police. Pathologist Julia Conroy confirmed Mr Evans had died from a heroin overdose.

She said: "If he had been clean of drugs, the impact of the heroin would have been greater. But, even if he was a regular user, it would still have been fatal."

Mr Evans' mother, Frances Evans, said her son had completed the Options drug rehabilitation course.

She said: "He had been taking methadone but prior to this he had to have heroin every day. Gradually, he was weaned off methadone.

"The last time I saw him was on Boxing Day. He said he was going to visit a friend in Bognor and was due back later that day but he did not return.

"My daughter and I tried to contact him on his mobile. Sadly, the next day, I was informed he had died."

Coroner Mr Stone said: "This is a tragic death of a young man and the only cause of that is the abuse of drugs.

"His family must view with horror the circumstances of what has happened.

"There's a high probability of death from the use of drugs when not prescribed by a properly qualified doctor.

"To all of those who take drugs as is wrongly described 'recreationally', these drugs are likely to kill you at some stage."