FORMER council boss Rod Hills died of natural causes, it was revealed yesterday.

The finding, revealed after a post-mortem examination, means it is unlikely an inquest will be held into the circumstances in which the 57-year-old university lecturer died.

Mr Hills, who was the Labour leader of the City of York Council until a year ago, was found dead late on Monday at a flat in the Chapeltown area of Leeds.

Yesterday, more details of his death emerged when pensioner Wilfred Dixon said Mr Hills knocked on the door of his housing association flat in Newton Walk, Chapeltown, on Monday evening.

The 65-year-old said: "He was looking for my neighbour, Mendy. I let him in. He said he was too tired to drive home. He seemed very presentable, a real gentleman.

"I said 'sit down' and asked if he would like to lie down. I made him up a bed, but then I popped out for a walk.

"When I came back about 10pm, I checked him because I thought he had had enough rest now, but I could not raise him and he was dead. I couldn't believe it."

The father-of-four said he had not been able to sleep since, adding: "I am still in shock with the whole thing. I can't believe it happened. It's very sad."

Mr Hills' death comes after a traumatic 18 months in which he became embroiled in two criminal investigations.

He was charged last year with a number of serious offences including blackmail, soliciting women for prostitution and perverting the course of justice but the charges were all later dropped.