A 24-year-old Bewdley man who was not seen for eight days before being found dead at home probably died from diabetes, a coroner ruled.

Unemployed Luke Ratcliffe was last seen in a fish and chip shop on March 14 and had not spoken to his family for about three weeks, an inquest in Stourport heard.

The former shop worker was found dead at Warwick House in Kidderminster Road on March 22.

Worcestershire coroner Victor Round said "it is probably, not definite" that Mr Ratcliffe died from complications arising from diabetes.

It was difficult to know exactly why he died because the condition of the body had deteriorated before being found, he said.

He added: "There is no evidence of any injury and working from the history it is likely to be natural and some combination or complication of the diabetes and of the diabetic coma."

Mr Ratcliffe had "poor control" over his diabetes and this was a "more likely" cause of death than epilepsy, which he also suffered from.

Mr Round said: "We understand he had not been in contact with the family for about three weeks before his death and his brother had unsuccessfully tried to make contact with him."

The brother had called the police because of the lack of contact, he said.

The sighting in the chip shop was likely to be "the only solid indication towards how long he had been dead".

He said Mr Ratcliffe had been dead for "over five days" before he was found "but how much more than that I don't know".

Mr Round recorded a verdict of natural causes at the inquest.