A DAD who died from a pills overdose between last Christmas and New Year had sent his ex-partner texts telling her what he was going to do, an inquest heard.

Robert Grenfell, 41, had sent Nicola Jones about 19 messages on Boxing Day seemingly indicating he was going to take "an excessive amount of pills" the hearing was told.

Nobody attended the inquest at Burnley Magistrates' Court but East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor decided to conclude the hearing.

He said it was always a great concern when witnesses did not attend but he was reluctant to issue witness summonses against the bereaved members of a family.

Mr Taylor said it was now nearly a year since Mr Grenfell had died and for whatever reason his family did not appear to want to come to court.

The inquest was told Mr Grenfell, of Thorn Crescent, Bacup, was found dead in his bed at home last December 27. He had a burned cigarette end still in his mouth.

In a statement, Mr Grenfell's son Kieron said his father returned home about midnight on December 26. He could hear his father being sick in the early hours.

About lunchtime the next day Mr Grenfell went into his father's room and found him dead. A number of empty pill boxes were on the side table.

A statement from Miss Jones said she and Mr Grenfell had split up in November. On December 26 she received about 19 text messages which seemed to indicate Mr Grenfell was going to take a lot of pills.

Pathologist Dr Walid Salman, who carried out a post mortem examination on December 30, said Mr Grenfell had anti-depressants, alcohol and painkillers in his system. Dr Salman gave the cause of death as a drugs overdose.

Mr Taylor said Mr Grenfell had taken a very large amount of tablets. Recording a verdict that Mr Grenfell took his own life, the coroner said having read the text messages to Miss Jones there did not seem in any doubt that he intended to do it.