A FATHER and son have told how they tried to save a 34-year-old man who died after taking heroin.

Asthma sufferer Christopher Grocott collapsed at the home of his childhood friend James Eardley after having difficulty breathing.

An inquest at North Staffordshire Coroner's Court yesterday heard James called an ambulance while his father, Christopher Eardley, tried to resuscitate Mr Grocott, but their efforts were in vain.

Mr Grocott had called at the Eardleys' home on Ubberley Road, Bentilee, on December 1, and gave James £10 to get some drinks in for that night.

He then went to his mother Gaynor Hall's house in Ruthin Road, Bentilee, where he lived most of the time, to give a birthday card to his son, who lived with Mrs Hall.

The inquest heard that when he returned to the Eardleys' he was clearly unwell. James, aged 35, told the inquest: "When I opened the door he was pouring with sweat. He sat on the bottom of my bed and said he was going to have to go for some fresh air.

"He went down to the front door and I went down a couple of minutes later to see if he was all right.

"I saw him leaning on the fence and he couldn't get his breath. I shouted my dad and phoned for an ambulance."

Christopher Eardley ran outside to Mr Grocott's aid. He told the hearing: "He was struggling to breathe. I asked him if I could look at his inhaler to check it wasn't short, because I'm asthmatic myself and he could have used mine.

"I got my fingers on his neck to feel his pulse and it stopped.

"I shouted to Jamie to tell the ambulance he had stopped breathing and get them to come quickly.

"I laid him down and started doing CPR. I managed to get him back but his breathing was ragged. Just as the ambulance arrived, he stopped breathing again."

The inquest heard paramedics then took over and Mr Grocott was taken to hospital and was hooked up to a ventilator. He never regained consciousness and the ventilator was switched off on December 5.

The inquest heard that Mr Grocott had a long-standing alcohol and drug problem, but was making efforts to come off heroin.

An asthma inhaler, a bottle of methadone and a syringe were found in his jacket following his collapse.

A post-mortem examination showed he had not been drinking, but there was a high level of morphine in his blood, along with methadone and other substances.

Pathologist Dr Mark Rogerson said the effect the heroin had on Mr Grocott's respiratory system would have been exacerbated by his asthma. The cause of death was given as acute heroin toxicity.

Anthony Curzon, deputy coroner for Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "I'm satisfied there is no indication of any adverse third party involvement.

"He must have taken heroin at some stage in the hours before his death. His asthma, combined with the effect the drugs can have on the respiratory system, means this was an accidental death."