A DRUG user who had gone clean in order to get custody of his son was found dead in his flat after taking a variety of drugs including 'street' heroin.

John Bowen Jones, 46, who lived alone in Oak Crescent, Hereford, was found at his home address on March 4 by a friend who became concerned after he failed to answer her calls.

Lorna Black had arranged to see Mr Jones the previous day after he had rung her stating he 'felt low' but when she arrived there was no answer.

The next day she returned with a key, let herself into his flat and found him dead on the sofa.

Detective Sergeant Frank Real of Hereford CID attended the scene where he found drug paraphernalia used to prepare heroin and a syringe.

An autopsy found that there were multiple drugs in his system including heroine, diazepam and sertraline.

Mr Jones had tested clean for drugs in the weeks leading up to the incident in his bid to get custody of his son.

County Coroner Mark Bricknell concluded at an inquest held at Hereford Town Hall on Wednesday that Mr Jones' death was drug related.

"There is clear evidence that he did use a multiple of drugs therefore his death is recorded as drug related," said Mr Bricknell.

"I accept the medical cause of death and noted the depression as relevant. He was clean of drugs so it is entirely possible he inadvertently took an overdose, with the effects, having been clean sometime, greater than expected."

Dr Jonathan Duffett, of Moorfield House Surgery said that Mr Jones had a long history of drug use with cocaine and cannabis.

Mr Duffett said in a statement: "Mr Jones had attended the surgery on January 12, when his medication for depression was reviewed. He told the doctor that he had tried to hang himself before that Christmas and was taken to hospital but refused to stay in the Stonebow Unit against advice.

"On February 24, he also attended the doctors and complained of breathlessness, but when examined everything was normal and he was given advice."

Ms Black said she had known Mr Jones for a long time and that Mr Jones had another son who had died of a brain tumour.

"Following the death of his son he started taking heroin and moved to Weston-super-Mare," said Ms Black in a statement read out at the inquest.

"He met a woman and had another son before moving back to Hereford. After contacting me on Facebook we met in January 2015.

"He told me he was now clean and having regular drug test in the hope he could have the custody of his child.

"Over the last year we remained good friends, I would sometimes buy him food and sometimes take his bank card off him to stop him buying drugs."