A CORONER has warned about the dangers of drugs after a man in his 30s was found dead in a church doorway.

Shaun Pavey was found dead in the doorway of St Andrew's Church in Florence Road Boscombe on October 25 last year after taking a morphine overdose.

Mr Pavey was just 34-years-old when he died.

An inquest at Bournemouth Coroner's Court on Tuesday heard Mr Pavey was a known drug user and had been sleeping in the archway of the church for a couple of weeks before his death.

On the morning of his death Mr Pavey was visited by his friend of 10 years Michael Greatbatch.

In a statement read out at the inquest, Mr Greenbatch said he had taken Mr Pavey a cup of coffee around 7am and that he was "awake but in pain".

The inquest heard that Mr Greenbatch left and returned some time later to find Mr Pavey was unresponsive and no longer breathing.

He attempted to resuscitate his friend, but to no avail.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene around 11am and Mr Pavey was pronounced dead at the scene.

A lot of needles and drug paraphernalia was discovered nearby and Mr Pavey had "multiple needle puncture wounds", the inquest heard.

Evidence from pathologist Dr Sanjay Jogai revealed Mr Pavey had 1.2mg per litre of morphine in his body and concluded that he died of an overdose.

Rachel Griffin, senior coroner for Dorset, recorded a verdict of drug related death.

Speaking at the inquest she said she hoped Mr Pavey''s death would act as a warning against the use of drugs.

"If anything can come of Mr Pavey's death I hope it is a warning to others of the dangers of using drugs and the potentially fatal consequences," she added.