AN inquest has opened following the death of a Bury man whose body was found in his flat by a neighbour.

Paul Kelly, 50, died at his home on Heathfield Road, Whitefield, on January 8, 2020.

Born in Manchester, Mr Kelly had never been employed and was single at the time of his death.

Police Coroner's Officer, Bernadette Hatton, told the inquest Mr Kelly was a known heroin addict who had recently swapped injecting the drug for smoking it after he had suffered from collapsed veins.

On December 28, 2019, he had been found collapsed in the street near to his home address and was taken to Fairfield General Hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

It was thought by doctors treating him that Mr Kelly had suffered a seizure rather than taken a drug overdose.

On the evening of January 6, 2020, a neighbour visited Mr Kelly and he appeared OK, but the following morning she became concerned as he was not answering his phone and she entered his flat using a key he had given her.

Mr Kelly was found dead in his bed and police officers later found tin foil with brown burn marks at the property suggesting he had used heroin.

After an investigation it was decided there was no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement.

A post mortem carried out by Dr Abdul Quader Ganjifrockwala gave the cause of death as heroin toxicity.

Coroner Catherine McKenna formally opened the inquest, to be taken place at a later date.