RELATIVES of a 33-year-old man who died in his sleep have been advised to undergo medical tests to ensure they are not susceptible to the same condition.

Nigel Lewis, of Birks Street, Stoke, was found lying on the settee by his partner, Angela Johnson, on July 18 of last year.

The father-of-three, who was a gas pipe laying labourer, fell asleep there the previous evening, but died while he slept.

Yesterday, Anthony Curzon, deputy coroner for Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, advised all immediate family members to have health screening tests for Sudden Adult Death syndrome (SADs).

Mr Curzon gave this advice during the inquest which was held Hartshill.

Mr Lewis's mother Pauline, of Longton, said there was a history of heart disease in the family, and one of her other sons, Michael, was on medication for deep vein thrombosis.

In a statement to police she said: "Nigel was a typical lad. He stopped going to school towards the end but after he left he always worked hard.

"On July 12, he mentioned he had blacked out in the bedroom at home a couple of times. But that was the first time he mentioned it."

Miss Johnson, who was also present at the inquest, confirmed this.

She said: "But it was a couple of years ago and he went to the doctors.

"He was told that kind of thing happens when you stand up too quickly and the blood rushes to your head."

The inquest heard that on July 17 Mr Lewis played with their children after work, and then lay down on the settee and fell asleep.

Miss Johnson went to bed at 11.30pm, and was woken the next day by her alarm at about 7.30am.

She went downstairs and saw her partner was still on the settee, and was unable to wake him up.

An ambulance was called and it became apparent he died in his sleep.

Dr Gillian Douce, a consultant pathologist, carried out a post mortem examination on July 21.

Tests revealed no evidence of alcohol or drugs in Mr Lewis's system, and his heart looked normal.

The cause of death given was sudden cardiac death with a morphologically normal heart.

Dr Douce said: "Often there's nothing to be done.

"The first thing we know about this condition is when someone dies from it."

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Mr Curzon added: "It can affect other members of the family, which is why it's recommended they get checked out as well."