A Maidstone man who died after taking a fatal dose of a controlled prescription painkiller may have bought the medicine online, an inquest heard.

Tragic Lee Jillings, 32, died suddenly at his Willington Street home after taking tramadol, a powerful analgesic restricted under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The hearing at Archbishop’s Palace was told how the well-known trainee enforcement officer and amateur body builder was also taking large quantities of anabolic steroids he had ordered from India and Pakistan.

Hundreds of syringes were found in his room and marks on Mr Jillings’ arms indicated recent use.

A post-mortem examination found, however, that this had not been a contributing factor to the medical cause of death, which was given as tramadol poisoning and a secondary cause of the presence of benzodiazepines, a class of psychoactive drugs.

Giving evidence, DS Ian McCarthy from Kent Police, said the lack of any prescription and information provided by family indicated the drugs were bought on the internet and abused.

He said packets of tramadol and tamoxifen, a drug used in the treatment of breast cancer, were also found at his home on June 27.

There were no suspicious circumstances or any evidence to indicate Mr Jillings intended to take his own life.

The court heard how Mr Jillings had a limited history of depression and anxiety following a bereavement in his family and in the month before his death had become more solitary.

Susan Jillings, Lee's mother, paid tribute in court to a "much-loved young man".

She said: "I don’t want people to think he was a lonely person, staying in his room upset. He just pulled himself away from his friends at that time."

Assistant coroner, Kate Thomas, gave a verdict of accidental death.

She said: "There is no evidence this was an intentional act.

"I am not minded to record this was a drug-related death because in this case there was no evidence of long-term abuse."