A father of two told a friend he wanted petrol and a gas cylinder hours before his body was found in a burnt-out hut.

David Beanland, 41, was seen leaving his sister-in-law's 50th birthday party after a row with his older brother, Graham, on Saturday, June 26 last year.

The former labourer, who lived in Queensway, Yeadon, with his partner and their two sons, was later found in the charred remains of an outbuilding on allotments near Nunroyd Park.

Firefighters were hampered by exploding canisters, Leeds Coroner's Court heard yesterday. Post mortem examinations showed Mr Beanland had high levels of alcohol in his blood, along with a fatal amount of carbon monoxide and cyanide. He died of smoke inhalation.

The shed belonged to his brother, but he also had keys.

The inquest heard that after the row with his brother, David Beanland left the party at Yeadon Cricket Club and went drinking. He told one friend who bought him a drink in the Wall Street bar that it would be the last he would ever buy him.

After leaving the pub he met another acquaintance whom he asked for a lift so he could get petrol and a gas cylinder. The friend refused and told him "not to be so daft".

The hearing heard Mr Beanland had a history of alcohol dependency and depression. Around 12 years ago he had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. He had made repeated threats over the years he was going to "end it all".

Police and fire investigators told the hearing no-one else had been involved in the fire.

West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff was not convinced the former labourer had intended to kill himself "on what should have been a most pleasant family celebration that ended up...with the most appalling tragedy".

He said: "David, for reasons not abundantly clear, while in a state of being upset and having drunk a lot, has made his way to these premises. A fire has started and his body was found. I'm aware you as a family believe possibly David has done that with a deliberate view to take his own life.

"I have to say the evidence does not convince me beyond reasonable doubt that was the case. It may be that, in his drunken state, he might well have wanted to cause his brother problems and set fire to the premises. He might have been caught up in that fire and not able to escape if he wanted to do so.

"I also can't say for certain that he hasn't deliberately ended his life."

The fire could have started accidentally, he said, from a dropped cigarette. Mr Beanland could then have been overcome, perhaps while asleep, through a mixture of drink and fumes.

Assuring the family the post mortem showed Mr Beanland had not suffered in the blaze, he concluded: "I have to record, regrettably for you, an open verdict."