A man died after falling down stairs, an inquest heard.

Joseph Young, 51, was found unconscious by his wife, Edna, when she returned to their home in Eaton Close, Witney, on September 10. He was lying at the bottom of the stairs in his underwear and socks.

Despite being rushed by ambulance to hospital, he died the following day without ever regaining consciousness.

Consultant pathologist Dr Ian Buley, who carried out the post-mortem, said the cause of death was a fractured skull. He said there was extensive bleeding into the brainstem.

Dr Buley found Mr Young had more than two and a half times the amount of alcohol in his blood than allowed when driving.

Mrs Young said her husband, a quality controller, had never admitted he had a drink problem. But he had had three previous falls and she said she thought alcohol was to blame.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death.