A man who was found in a street in Southend had taken drugs and alcohol before dying in hospital, an inquest heard.

Luke Brown, 37, of no fixed address, was found on a street in Southend in the early hours of August 2 by a friend.

Police taped off part of Tylers Avenue with a cordon also in place around Baltic Avenue and Quebec Avenue, outside the job centre in the town centre.

The death was initially treated as unexplained by police.

During an inquest into his death this morning (Wednesday, November 7), the court heard how paramedics attended and carried out CPR before he was taken to Southend Hospital.

Staff continued to give him CPR but sadly, they were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 4.30am the same day.

A post-mortem was carried out on August 10 and a toxicology report was also compiled which shown that he had taken heroin and cocaine prior to his death.

Forensics officers at the scene

The amount of alcohol in his blood was of considerable levels indicating he was intoxicated which the court heard "increased the toxicity of the heroin".

The cause of death was given as aspiration of gastric contents, alcohol intoxication and heroin abuse and hepatic steatosis, otherwise known as fatty liver.

Senior Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open conclusion in his death and expressed sympathy to his family.