A "LOVING father" who died from an overdose did not necessarily intend to commit suicide, an inquest has said.

Victor Round, coroner for Worcestershire, said 25-year-old Paul Bourne, from Stourport-on-Severn, had died from a massive overdose of anti-depressants.

The inquest heard how Mr Bourne had taken 60 tablets at his lodgings on Old Ford Walk and then told his housemate, Alan Dyke, what he had done.

Mr Round said he had given an open verdict because he could not decide whether or not Mr Bourne had intended to kill himself.

"He had said what he had done so maybe it was a cry for help, that is why he said he had done it.

"He might have been expecting others to help," said Mr Round.

The inquest was told that on Monday, November 4, last year, at around 8pm, Mr Bourne suffered fits within 20 minutes of taking the tablets and was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital by ambulance but later died.

Paul's wife, Katie, said she welcomed the verdict because she too could not think of why he would try to end his life. She praised him for being a good father.

"He was loving and very family-orientated," she said.

"He was also very reliable.

She added that although they did not live together, because they had financial problems, Mr Bourne adored their two-year-old daughter, Kodie.

Dr Terry Jones, consultant pathologist at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said a toxicology analysis had shown a huge dose of dothiepine in Mr Bourne's blood, which was very quickly absorbed into his body causing death.

Dr Jones also noted that a post-mortem revealed injection scars on the front of his feet as a result of heroin abuse, but emphasised that the level of morphine was a very minor factor in the death.