A MEON Valley man died after suffering a fall at his home, an inquest heard.

Winchester Coroner's Court heard how Simon Silk, of Lippen Cottages, West Meon, was a regular drinker who refused to get help for his alcoholism, according to his wife, Rosemary Silk.

The 58-year-old was an alcoholic who drank one to four bottles of wine each day and had suffered falls when he drunk to excess, Mrs Silk told the hearing.

The inquest was told how Mr Silk was drinking heavily on June 3 and had fallen on the floor but Mrs Silk assumed he was in a drunken sleep, and later called on the help of a relative and nearby farm worker to lift him into bed.

She then went to the pub and came back home to check on him, before doing some gardening.

She returned to see that he was looking 'grey' and phoned the emergency services, but paramedics were unable to resuscitate Mr Silk.

A report from a PC Simon Chapman from Fareham Police Station, who arrived at the house after reports of a sudden death, said he seized three empty bottles of wine from the front room.

Pathologist Dr Burnley from Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester carried out a post mortem which revealed Mr Silk suffered a head injury.

A toxicology test done by Hampshire Scientific Services revealed he was more than four times over the drink drive limit.

Senior central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short recorded a verdict of accidental death.