A yoga instructor who was once hailed a hero for entering a burning building to put out a fire died as a consequence of taking a cocktail of drugs, a coroner heard yesterday.

Alexander Churchley-Cook, 48, of Gloucester road, Stonehouse, went into the burning building at Red Hot Yoga in Guildford to help tackle a blaze in 2017.

Gloucester Coroner's Court was told by his former wife Rachael Churchley-Cook yesterday that at the same time as his heroic deed, Alex was talking about having suicidal tendencies and he would frequently take pain-killing drugs with alcohol.

Mr Churchley-Cook was found by his mother lying on the floor of

the family home on January 29 and she immediately called for an ambulance.

A paramedic arrived but he was unable to revive Mr Churchley-Cook and recorded his death as January 30.

There was no police involvement.

Mr Churchley-Cook's mother told the court her son had previously had suicidal thoughts and that he had been in contact with mental health services.

The pathologist revealed that Mr Churchley-Cook had taken heroin, morphine and diazepam shortly before his death which led him to the conclusion that he died from opium toxicity.

Assistant coroner Roland Wooderson said: "Whilst Mr Churchley-Cook may have been in a different place physiologically, there is no evidence that he intended to take his own life.

"I note that he has a history of misuse of prescription drugs and that he died from opium toxicity.

"According, I conclude this is a drug-related death."