AN alcoholic whose death sparked a major police investigation died of a massive stroke, an inquest heard.

Daniel Sanford is believed to have spent a whole night on the floor of a communal hallway before being found unconscious in September last year.

A Bournemouth inquest heard his girlfriend spoke to him on the phone in the early hours of the morning but thought he was under the influence of alcohol so did not call for help.

The 44-year-old lived in supported accommodation at Hannah House in Westbourne so girlfriend Leonora Smith was checking on him on their behalf because he had not complied with a midnight curfew. She contacted them and told them she believed he was safe.

Dorset coroner Sheriff Payne heard Mr Sanford had spent the day and the evening of Saturday September 27 with friend Roisin McCormack before leaving her flat in Commercial Road, Bournemouth.

She did not realise he had collapsed in the communal hallway on his way out until police knocked on her door the following morning, the inquest was told.

A resident in another flat told how he had heard snoring noises from the hallway and had alerted police.

Mr Sanford was taken to Southampton Hospital but died later that day.

Mr Payne was told Mr Sanford had a head injury, which sparked a major police investigation. A full forensic post mortem examination was carried out which concluded that the injury was consistent with falling.

Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue revealed the cause of death was a spontaneous stroke. Mr Sanford also had a number of different drugs in his system and a blood alcohol level of 109 - the legal limit for driving is 80.

Recording a verdict that Mr Sanford died of natural causes, Mr Payne said: "There was nothing to indicate that he had been harmed by anybody. This was an entirely natural event against a background of severe alcoholism."