A MAN found dead in his room at a hostel had overdosed on drugs, an inquest heard on Monday.

CCTV footage showed Denis Thomas McCormick was “extremely intoxicated” hours before his body was discovered in his room at the Stages Academy in Middlesbrough on Wednesday, November 22.

The 36-year-old was found surrounded by drugs paraphernalia when a member of staff became concerned during regular welfare checks and let herself into his bedroom.

An inquest at Teesside Coroner’s Court heard that Mr McCormick had a history of drug abuse, sleeplessness and depression, having become increasingly reliant on medication prescribed initially to treat chronic back pain.

He had moved into Stages – a supported housing facility offering help for vulnerable and homeless people - just weeks before his death.

Drugs and alcohol are banned at the complex but following the discovery of his body, it was found that Mr McCormick had been hiding heroin paraphernalia behind the bath panel in his room.

Police launched an investigation into his death but concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances and that nobody had been in the room with him when he died.

In the hours leading up to his death, he was caught on CCTV appearing extremely intoxicated as he socialised with a number of other men, but he returned to his room alone and was not seen again until his body was discovered by an office assistant.

Senior coroner Clare Bailey ruled that Mr McCormick’s death was drug related, with a post-mortem finding that he had substances including morphine and methadone in his system.

She said: “Having considered the evidence and his past medical history, the conclusion is that he died a death that was drug related.”