A former drug support worker died from a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has heard.

Jaime Wallwein, a previously recovered drug addict and alcoholic, was found by police in his flat on January 7, aged 51.

Mr Wallwein was also suffering from numerous forms of bad health, including a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the Norfolk Coroner's Court hearing was told.

Area coroner Yvonne Blake concluded that Mr Wallwein died as a result of drug-related death.

Police were called by Dawn Vicary to his flat on Borrowdale Drive in Norwich. In a witness statement Miss Vicary said she did not live with Mr Wallwein but they did have a one-year-old child.

Miss Vicary said on the afternoon of January 6 Mr Wallwein had texted to say his breathing was 'not so good'.

When Mr Wallwein did not respond to texts the next day, Miss Vicary drove over, where she found his car outside and called police.

Miss Vicary said Mr Wallwein had been clean for two to three years before she met him but prior to his death had been depressed and acting differently.

She said: 'He had never given any specific reason he would take drugs to deliberately end his life. He adored his daughter. He was a good man and helped others.'

A statement from Magdalen Medical Practice's Dr Sunil Pinto confirmed that Mr Wallwein had worked as a care worker in a management capacity for a substance misuse centre in Kent, before coming to Norwich to be with his partner.

On October 19 Mr Wallwein told the practice he had been struggling to cope while his daughter went on holiday with grandparents alongside a change in prescription drugs, had started drinking again, and had checked into rehab.

A toxicology report showed he had taken cocaine, either morphine or heroin, and opiates, as well as therapeutic levels of several prescription drugs.

A statement from Det Con Jon Cotterell said the cause of death was polypharmacy toxicity in particular arising from the toxic combination of heroin in conjunction with Dihydrocodeine and Diazepam in a person with compromised respiratory functions.

No illegal drugs were recovered from the scene and there were no suspicious circumstances.