A teenager died after taking his father's morphine tablets when he began to feel unwell.

Reece Porter-Shepherd was just 19 when he was found unresponsive in his bedroom by his parents in Margate.

The support worker, who was training in health and social care at Broadstairs College, was killed by accidental morphine toxicity after taking tablets belonging to his father when feeling unwell.

His parents, Louis and Samantha Porter, described their son as "the life and soul of the party".

"He loved his family. He and his younger sister argued but they were absolutely inseparable," Mrs Porter said.

"You could see the impact he made on people around him. All we have had since he passed are messages from his friends saying how much they miss him.

"He just cheered people up by being around them. He was that kind of boy."

An inquest into Reece's death heard that he had been suffering from sickness for some time and had been prescribed medication to combat it, on top of a prescription he had already been taking for epilepsy.

In the early hours of April 5, he had spoken to his father Louis Porter and seemed in good spirits, but spoke of feeling unwell and having thrown up.

Several hours later, Mr Porter was forced to break his son's door down after he didn't answer any of the family's calls, before finding him unresponsive on his bed.

Assistant Coroner Sonia Hayes told the court that it was not unusual for Reece to lock his door for privacy. An unknown number of morphine tablets belonging to his father had been found in his bag several days after his death.

However, she also said that there was nothing to suggest he intended himself harm by taking the pills, and that there was no history of drug addiction, and no paraphernalia in his room to suggest substance abuse.

"There is nothing to suggest he wished to harm himself..."

Ruling the young man's death a misadventure, she said: "It is likely he took [the morphine] while feeling unwell.

"I cannot be certain why he took it or what decision he was making. It is never sensible to take medication prescribed to somebody else but it happens often, and there is nothing to suggest he wished to harm himself."

Mr Porter said that his son's caring nature was reflected in the good he was doing – and was going to do in the future – through his work and studies.

"That was really who he was, kind and caring," he explained.

"He was due to finish his level three training and he had just got himself a new job. We were so proud."

Speaking to the couple in the court, Ms Hayes said: "Mr and Mrs Porter, I am so very sorry.

"Please accept my sincerest condolences for the loss of your son, and to the rest of your family and his siblings as well."