A MAN whose body was discovered in a Tottington brook died as a result of a heroin overdose.

The body of Lee McEnery was discovered in Kirklees Brook, off Keld Close, by passersby on August 7 of this year.

On Thursday, an inquest into his death heard that the 43-year-old, who ran his own window cleaning business, had a history of addiction to class A drugs.

The hearing at Rochdale Coroners Court today heard that the former Tottington High School pupil had first become addicted to heroin in his 20s.

Family described Mr McEnery as 'a happy, sociable, person who would do anything for you', but added that he was 'easily led' by friends.

The inquest heard that he had lived with his parents at their home in Tottington, but was asked to move out earlier this year after his addiction worsened and he began stealing items from them in order to fund his habit.

He moved in with his friend Mark Russell in Holme Avenue, Brandlesholme, but the pair fell out after Mr Russell declared his intention to tackle his own addiction to heroin, a course Mr McEnery had no intention of following.

And after Mr Russell discovered his friend had begun injecting heroin instead of smoking it, he asked him to 'move on'.

After moving out, Mr McEnery told Mr Russell he had started sleeping rough and had been hiding his drugs in a bag close to the Kirklees Trail in Tottington.

Two days before his death, Mr Russell found McEnery asleep on the pavement outside his home.

He told the court his friend was 'clearly' under the influence of drugs, and had told him he was now injecting himself four times a day and that he had 'nowhere to go'.

On the evening of August 7, Mr McEnery's body was discovered submerged in water beneath a footbridge by a man who was out on a walk with his wife and children.

Police officers, including an underwater rescue unit, were called to the scene, and the body was recovered.

Toxicology tests carried out on Mr McEnery's body following his death revealed a 'concerning' level of morphine in his system, indicative of 'illicit heroin use'. Track marks were also found on his groin area.

The inquest heard that in the year prior to his death, Mr McEnery had breached a number of court orders, and had failed to engage with a drug rehabilitation programme.

A statement read out on behalf of pathologist Dr Kweku Baiden-Amissah concluded that Mr McEnery's cause of death was 'heroin toxicity'.

Coroner Michael Salt returned a conclusion of a drug-related death. Addressing Mr McEnery's family, he said: "In these circumstances, family have an impossible task and you have my great sympathy in terms of trying to deal with that, and also my condolences."