A former fireman locked himself in his shed before swallowing a fatal cocktail of whisky and pills, an inquest heard.

Alan Norton, 55, was found dead in a shed at the back of his flat on Glastonbury Drive, Golcar, on January 23.

Kirklees Coroner’s Court heard Mr Norton had drunk the equivalent of eight pints of beer and swallowed a ‘toxic’ dose of an antidepressant.

Mr Norton, who had worked as a firefighter in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was found next to an almost empty bottle of whisky after police had broken into the shed.

The divorced newspaper delivery man had earlier been reported missing by his girlfriend, the inquest was told.

The court heard Mr Norton, originally from Scarborough, had struggled with alcohol, anxiety and depression for years, taking drugs overdoses and deliberately injuring himself.

Mr Norton had been referred to a rehabilitation programme but had failed to engage with it.

A neighbour, one of the last people to see Mr Norton alive, had noted that Mr Norton seemed depressed but it was not unusual, the inquest heard.

West Yorkshire Coroner Mary Burke said: “Clearly Mr Norton had a history of depression and alcohol dependency. He was on medication for his depression and the alcohol dependency had been present for years.

“He had taken a number of overdoses and had several cuts on his arm from previous self-harming.

“He had elevated levels of alcohol and an antidepressant, neither of which were at fatal levels (but) the combined effects of those suggests they had had a significant effect on him and were the likely cause of his death.”

But ruling out a verdict of suicide and recording an open conclusion, Ms Burke added: “I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Norton intended to end his own life.

“It is possible that he has accidently taken his medication not in a prescribed fashion but at a greater level – but not intentionally...

“No (suicide) note was found and he didn’t report to a neighbour and his partner that he intended to take his life.”

She concluded: “I’m not sure what Mr Norton’s intentions were.”