COCAINE killed a Trowbridge man who had fallen into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse, an inquest has heard.

Simon Bull, 41, died after taking cocaine and heroin at a friend's house in the town in March 2003.

At an inquest into his death, held in Chippenham on Tuesday, deputy coroner William Bache said: "I think it is pretty clear the consumption of drugs, although in a relatively small dose, induced a heart attack."

Mr Bull's ex-wife, Anne Ritchens, said: "I have mixed emotions but I'm really glad it's now over and has been put to rest."

Mrs Ritchens and her two daughters always maintained that, despite rumours Mr Bull committed suicide, he would not have intentionally taken his own life.

Mr Bull and Mrs Ritchens met when he was just 14 and, although they didn't marry until 1996, they had been together for 20 years and raised her two daughters as his own.

He had always taken drugs but, since his marriage ended, had been depressed and used more drugs, including heroin. The inquest heard he was a 'hectic drug user' who took amphetamines and cannabis as well as cocaine and heroin.

On the day he died he had gone to Bristol and bought about £200 worth of heroin and cocaine and had then taken some of each at a friend's house on the Studley Green estate in Trowbridge.

His friend, Michael Shaw, told the court that although Mr Bull had been depressed he had not seemed unusually down the night he died.

The coroner gave a verdict of accidental death by cocaine toxicity.