The inquest has been held into the death of a Frome man who died in his flat on Catherine Hill in January, in spite of a passing good samaritan trying to save him.

An inquest today (May 13), carried out remotely, was told that a visitor walking up Catherine Hill had battled for many minutes to try and save the man's life, followed by another 30 minutes of shock treatment once the paramedics arrived.

The inquest was into the death of 58 year old Thomas Spence Lindsay Beveridge, formally opened in February but concluded today when the coroner read out reports from the friends who found him, the police and the passerby who performed CPR.

Senior Coroner Somerset Tony Williams read out evidence from his friends who found Thomas slumped in his flat on January 12 this year. When they could not revive him, they ran into the street and shouted for help.

Thomas was described by one of them as not looking well when they previously had visited his home at 11a Catherine Hill, and so they went back to check on him after they had been out shopping.

One of those friends told the coroner they dropped in to see him once or twice every week and that he: " Was a lovely man, great at listening who had a lot of respect from people in Frome."

Although the Frome Medical Centre told the coroner Thomas told them that he was no longer on drugs, he had previously said he had started recreational drug use in the 1980s.

According to medical records read out by the coroner, Thomas, who had worked as a labourer and was born in Fife, had had several attempts to get off drugs and but was officially described as " Long-term drug dependent" on methadone, heroin and used cocaine.

The coroner was told that he had been sent 51 letters from drug dependency unit letters but had told medics he had stopped taking drugs in 2019.

He had been diagnosed with severe COPD in 2088 and was using oxygen at home.

On January 12, of this year, he was found at his flat in Frome, along with a needle and two spoons.

The time of death was put by the police report as 16:36, with the following pathology report showing that he had 205 mg per litre of heroin in his system. The levels consistent with fatalities from heroin are in the range between 50 and 1,000 milligrams per litre.

There were also traces of cocaine in his blood, although not at levels which would be considered to be toxic.

The coroner reported that the police had told him that there were no suspicious circumstances about Thomas Beveridge's death and no investigations.

In conclusion the coroner said: " I believe that Thomas Beveridge administered a quantity of heroin that was to prove fatal but with no intention of harming himself."

The pathologist ruled that his death was by Acute Morphine Toxicity.