A BRADFORD City fan died of alcohol poisoning after returning from watching his team play Port Vale.

An inquest heard Michael Dwyer, 64, was found dead in a beck in the garden of his home in Bradford Road, Riddlesden, in January this year.

Retired printer Mr Dwyer, who was known as Mick, was a widower and lived alone.

Assistant Coroner Mary Burke said he and a group of friends had gone to watch Bradford City play away at Port Vale on January 23.

Following the game they returned to Bradford where they spent some time in a pub before Mr Dwyer was given a lift home.

His friend Leslie Ayres saw him walk into his garden and up his garden path before driving off.

When his family was unable to contact him the following day, one of his neighbours, Wilfred Scarborough, went to his home but could not find him.

Mr Scarborough returned the following morning at about 10.30am and found Mr Dwyer lying in a beck at the bottom of a slope running down from his garden path.

The police were called but found no signs of life.

Ms Burke said evidence from Mr Dwyer's home alarm system indicated that he had never made it into his bungalow after saying goodbye to the friends who had given him a lift on January 23.

She said a post-mortem examination found no evidence of injury or disease and he had not drowned.

But very high levels of alcohol were found in his body, which in other cases, have been enough to affect the person's central nervous system, resulting in loss of consciousness, coma, then causing their heart to stop.

Ms Burke concluded that Mr Dwyer's death was a result of alcohol poisoning.