A MAN died in a seafront car park after a heroin overdose.

Andrew Carr took the drug before collapsing in the tunnel between Regency Square car park and Brighton seafront, an inquest heard.

A post-mortem examination revealed chemicals consistent with the use of the illicit drug in his system.

Coroner Catharine Palmer ruled the cause of the 41-year-old’s death was heroin toxicity.

Mr Carr was spotted on CCTV by a surveillance officer at Hove Town Hall who called emergency services.

Another man tried in vain to rouse Mr Carr.

Police and ambulance crews were called at 7.56pm on November 1. Paramedics administered treatments and spent almost an hour trying to save him the separated father of five was pronounced dead at 8.48pm.

He had been working as a painter and decorator for his cousin and was living in nearby Montpelier Road, Brighton, the inquest at Woodvale Crematorium heard.

He was born in West Yorkshire, where many of his family still live. In accounts from his family, Ms Palmer was told he had an “up and down life” after becoming “involved with the wrong people” during his later years at school. This led to drug use and his medical history showed issues with drugs dating back to 1996 and an overdose in 1997.

In Brighton he had attended sessions with drug support service Change Grow Live since 2018 and was known to use heroin and crack cocaine.

He had a history of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia for which he received medication and was given overdose prevention advice.

Following these sessions, he had made progress to cut down on his drug use.

He had visited his sister, Julie Whalley, who he was very close to, in Oldham just two weeks before his death and had enjoyed his stay, Ms Palmer was told.

“That weekend was so positive,” Julie said. “He told us, ‘I love this’.”

But, the inquest heard he had “really struggled” after returning to Brighton as he missed his family.

The cousin he was working for said he “did not seem himself” and had gone on a “two day bender” when he took heroin. He was also reported to have drunk seven cans of cider and taken crack cocaine in the hours leading up to his death

Ms Palmer said his death was a “drugs-related misadventure”, adding: “Andrew had problems with drugs and alcohol and had done his best to overcome them. He was a very hard-working man but unfortunately something happened to him which took him down.”

After the inquest, his sister Julie said: “He was a lovely person, always laughing and joyful. We couldn’t look at each other without laughing - he was always laughing.

“Andrew was a very caring person.”