The mother of a man who died after taking crack cocaine and heroin has labelled him "an absolute fool" for taking drugs.

Keith Varey, of Stort Close, Didcot, was found lying face down on his bed by his lodger on December 19 last year, an inquest in Oxford heard today.

The 41-year-old's mother, Julia Varey, said after the inquest: "He was an absolute fool.

"Had I known or even suspected he was on drugs I would have been the first person down the police station. It was a very stupid, stupid thing to do."

The inquest heard Mr Varey, a former courier, had split from his wife and daughter earlier in the year after developing a drug habit and had rented a room in his house to Marcin Borawski just days before his death.

Mr Borawski said he had become worried about his landlord after not seeing him for two days.

On entering Mr Varey's room, he found him motionless and raised the alarm with a neighbour.

He said: "I have this person in my head and my heart and he will be all the time."

Drug-taking equipment was found at the scene and pathologist Dr Miriam Walsh said Mr Varey had traces of cocaine and opiates in his blood. She said the cause of death was respiratory failure.

Recording a verdict of misuse of drugs, assistant coroner Dr Richard Whittington said: "He was basically a caring man. He had fallen in with the wrong sort of people.

"Drug use can spoil lifestyles, spoil families and spoil relationships. It is quite ruinous."