A man found dead next to a syringe had wanted to escape from Maidstone's drug scene, an inquest heard.

Luke Young's badly decomposed body was found slumped on the sofa of his Highland Road flat in December, seven weeks after he was last known to be alive.

Police forced their way in after reports from a neighbour who was concerned about the number of flies at the window and found the 46-year-old in a cluttered room, sitting next to a syringe. They also found drugs paraphernalia including several other syringes typically used to inject heroin.

The inquest, at Archbishop's Palace, heard how Mr Young had told neighbour John Dixon he was worried about paying his bills and had wanted to leave Maidstone to get away from the drugs scene.

He was considering living rough in Brighton. DS Neil Kimber said Mr Young's bank card had last been used there on November 1.

Nicola Talbot, the neighbour who called police, described Mr Young as a polite man who kept to himself. She said he was a known drug user who had previously tried to sell her some of his belongings.

"Although drug paraphernalia was found and he was a known drug user I'm unable to determine whether drugs were involved..." - coroner Patricia Harding

She had last seen him around two months before he was found.

Mr Young lived alone and police were not able to trace any family. It is thought he had a brother, but that the siblings had not spoken since their father's funeral.

A post-mortem was unable to find the cause of death, due to the advanced decomposition. He was identified by fingerprints.

No drugs or medication were found at the flat and there was no sign of another person being involved.

Coroner Patricia Harding recorded an open verdict. She said: "Although drug paraphernalia was found and he was a known drug user I'm unable to determine whether drugs were involved.

"It is not possible to establish from the evidence how or when the death occurred."