A QUESTION mark was left hanging over the drugs death of a Kidderminster man after authorities failed to find out who he was with the night he died, an inquest heard.

DNA testing on mugs found in the bedroom of Keith Allarton could not match the identity of the person who was with the 24-year-old before his death, said Worcestershire coroner Victor Round.

He died from a mixture of morphine and a chemical commonly found in illicit heroin said Mr Round, who added he found gaps when it came to addressing "who he was with when he took it" on March 12.

"We are left with various little bits of information but nothing very positive as to who was with him at the time," said Mr Round.

Recording a verdict of death by non-dependent use of drugs, he said Mr Allarton had died some hours after taking the lethal drug and was discovered by his mother when she returned from work at 7am.

A surgical needle was found next to Mr Allarton - who lived with his mother at Woodward Road, Kidderminster - and he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

And Mr Round said the death served as a warning to claims that heroin users can maintain a "tolerance" against the drug, of which Mr Allarton had not taken a "large quantity" on the night of his death.

He said: "It is not as simple as heroin users would have you believe - 'I know what I am doing, I know what I can handle' - there is no such thing."