A man found dead at Rhyl’s events arena had decided to sleep rough because he didn’t have the money for the bus back to his hotel in Mostyn, an inquest was told.

Paul Burton, 45, a heavy drug user for many years, and his friend Shane Bradley, slept alongside each other in a walkway near the seafront but when a passer-by tried to rouse them the following morning – on December 28 – Mr Burton had died.

Drugs paraphernalia was found nearby and a post-mortem examination revealed evidence of cocaine and heroin, as well as medication for epilepsy, the cause of death was pneumonia.

Mr Bradley told police he had known Mr Burton for five months and they decided to sleep rough because they had no money to get back to the Mostyn Lodge Hotel on Deeside.

He said they had a cigarette together at 4am before he went back to sleep, and was then awakened by passer-by Brian Jones.

The inquest at Ruthin heard that Mr Burton moved to North Wales from Liverpool some years ago and had had several hospital admissions.

Joanne Lees, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion that it was a drug-related death.