An inquest has opened into the death of a 42-year-old hospital and charity volunteer who was found dead at home.

Darren Ross Latham, who was born in Liverpool but lived in Bury, died on July 21 this year.

Police coroners officer Tracey Bunn told Rochdale Coroners' Court that Mr Latham was a hospital and Samaritan charity volunteer and was single at the time of his death.

Mr Latham was last seen by a friend on July 16 after a walk they were doing with the Samaritans and he was full of energy and happy.

The next couple of days he also seemed fine, but in the two days before his death friends were unable to get in touch with him.

They called police as they were concerned after going to his house and getting no response.

Officers managed to enter the house and Mr Latham was found dead at the bottom of the stairs lying on his back.

A postmortem investigation reported that medication use was found in his system.

Assistant coroner for Manchester North, Julie Mitchell, set an inquest date for January next year.