A man died after taking a lethal mix of heroin, cocaine and diazepam, an inquest heard.

Carl Taylor was found dead at an Accrington flat after a neighbour reported to police they had seen a ‘hysterical female shouting that someone was dead’.

Blackburn Coroners Court heard how the 34-year-old had bought diazepam from a house in Blackburn the day before and told a friend that he was ‘rattling’ after taking cocaine and heroin.

A post-mortem examination found that his heart was ‘markedly enlarged and heavy’ at nearly twice the normal weight. Pathologist Dr Deepa Jacob said she also found ‘many drugs’ in his system and fluid and blood in his lungs.

The inquest heard how a combination of the drugs, in particular cocaine, caused Mr Taylor’s heart to fail and his breathing to become ‘shallower’ before he ‘eventually slipped away’.

In a statement read out at the inquest, Detective Constable Ben Lyons told how they were contacted at 10.20pm on April 9 this year by a member of the public who reported witnessing a ‘hysterical female’ on Wellington Street, Accrington.

When officers attended they found Mr Taylor passed away on a sofa bed in the flat.

A man and a woman were spoken to at the scene and they told police how Mr Taylor, of Hudrake, Haslingden, had bought the diazepam from an address in Little Harwood and that he ‘willingly purchased and consumed the various drugs found in his system’.

The inquest heard how an examination by police of CCTV and Mr Taylor’s mobile phone found he was a ‘drug user’.

Coroner Michael Singleton ruled the cause of death was cardiorespiratory depression caused by multi-drug abuse.

He said: “I am satisfied that on April 8, Carl Taylor took heroin, cocaine and diazepam, the combination of which caused cardiorespiratory depression and led to his death.”

l After his death in April, Mr Taylor’s sister told the Observer that he was a born again Christian who ran a Sunday school and a Facebook site called Facebook Christians.