THE family of a much-loved “raver” who was the life and soul of the party urged young people not to gamble with heroin after he died injecting the drug for only the second time.

Leon Hussey, 20, collapsed on New Year’s Day at the flat he shared with his father in Stratton Way, Abingdon.

Described by his mother Mandy as a “loving and happy” Tottenham Hotspur fan who enjoyed going to raves, the former Larkmead School pupil had been drinking in Oxford before his death.

His inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court last week heard paramedics found Mr Hussey unconscious on his bed at 5.54am on January 1 and he was pronounced dead at 6.25am.

Mr Hussey, who had been due to start work as a chef at the Boundary House pub the following week, had used drugs including ketamine and ecstasy since he was 14, a statement from his GP Peter Wiesemann said.

Emma Langley told the hearing she met Mr Hussey and one of his friends, along with her then boyfriend Gregory Osbourne, in Oxford at about 10pm.

After walking along Cowley Road, in East Oxford, and back to the city centre, the group bought two £20 wraps of heroin and two £20 wraps of cocaine and went back to Abingdon to take the drugs.

Miss Langley said Mr Hussey “had quite a lot to drink and was in a very jovial, happy mood”. She said she had smoked heroin with him before and “he had injected it once before”.

Mr Hussey’s father, Robin, let his “extremely drunk” son back into the flat at about 2am, but did not recall seeing Mr Osbourne or Miss Langley, who said they were let in by Leon later.

Miss Langley said the group took the drugs, with Mr Osbourne talking Mr Hussey through the injecting, before they all “started drifting off to sleep”. She added: “I remember Leon snoring then waking up and realising he wasn’t snoring and rushed over to see if he was okay and he wasn’t breathing.”

Pathologist Dr Sanjiv Manek said Mr Hussey had “extremely high” levels of morphine in his system and died of an “opiate overdose”.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death and said: “It’s a story which tragically I’ve heard all too often. Infrequent users of heroin are paradoxically more exposed to risk than a regular user.”

After the inquest, Mrs Hussey said: “I think the alcohol was a big part of this because he was so, so drunk. He wouldn’t have made that decision to be with those people being sober.”

Leon’s father said: “I lived for my son. He was everything for me and without him I’m suffering.”

He urged people “not to gamble” with heroin as “your first time could be your last”.

Police confirmed Miss Langley and Mr Osbourne were arrested at the scene on suspicion of supplying drugs but no charges have been brought.