A DRUG user hid his addiction from his mother, an inquest heard.

Mark Caughlin, 51, was found unresponsive in his room at Shadsworth House hostel in Blackburn by his best friend in the early hours of November 18.

A toxicology report found several substances in his system including heroin-substitute methadone, tranquiliser diazepam, anti-psychotic drug olanzapine and anxiety drug pregabalin.

The inquest in Preston heard that the former forklift driver had a history of alcohol abuse, anxiety and depression, which started after the death of his father in 1981.

A statement from Mr Caughlin’s mother, Patricia Caughlin, said: “He travelled a lot with his work but moved back to Lancashire and began some engagements with (drug agency) Inspire.

“He appeared to be moving forward although he struggled to function on a day-to-day basis but seemed to be improving.

“I was aware of his alcohol problems but I can’t understand why and where he would have taken methadone.”

The inquest heard Mr Caughlin first presented himself to Inspire in 2017 to seek help, and had admitted to using a number of substances of which his mother and his GP knew nothing about.

By March 2018, he was engaging with Narcotics Anonymous in an attempt to detox, and was discharged from Inspire in August.

A statement from his best friend Nicholas Warren said: “He would take drugs on a daily basis, often taking more than one drug. On the day of his death we had both taken drugs and had been chatting and chilling in his room.

“He had bought some valium from someone in Blackburn but had swapped a strip of it for pregabalin. I left Mark in his room after he fell asleep and he was snoring, which was normal.

“I went back some time later to get my cigarette papers and found him unresponsive on his bed.”

Mr Warren called an ambulance and he was instructed to carry out CPR.

However, Mr Caughlin was pronounced dead in his room by paramedics.

Coroner James Newman concluded that Mr Caughlin died of a drug-related death.