A man who had locked himself out of his flat plunged to his death while trying to get back in through an open window.

Darren Howard, 36, had snapped the keys to his flat at Little Horton Lane, Bradford, and had been forced to shimmy up the drain pipe on previous occasions.

But an inquest in Bradford heard yesterday how the dangerous manoeuvre went fatally wrong last June and Mr Howard sustained multiple injuries as he fell into the yard below.

Mr Howard had been drinking and Deputy Coroner Mark Hinchliffe described the attempted to climb up to the bathroom window as a "foolish decision".

The inquest was told that a police investigation was started when his body was found by a neighbour.

But Mr Hinchliffe said that there was no evidence of an assault and added that all the scientific evidence pointed to a fall from height as being the cause of death.

Home Office forensic pathologist, Professor Christopher Milroy, who conducted a post-mortem examination, said in a report that Mr Howard had died from multiple injuries.

The hearing was told that Mr Howard had arranged with a neighbour to let him into the flats earlier that day and his father confirmed that he had got in by climbing up the drain pipe in the past.

Mr Hinchliffe recorded that the death had been a tragic accident and ruled out any foul play or third party involvement.

He added: "He did not have and effective key for his flat and his door was found locked the following morning and I think it's clear that Mr Howard had locked himself out.

"He attempted to climb up a fall pipe and fell, and fell badly, and sustained injuries as a consequence and that's how he was found in the morning."

"Given the amount he had had to drink with hindsight it was a foolish decision."