AN OBESE man died at his Winchester home because his heart weighed over half a kilogram, an inquest heard.

Simon Jones, 43, was found dead on his sofa next to empty food wrappers and a plate of toast.

The body of Mr Jones, who weighed 22 stone, was discovered at his home in Sarum Road by his 82-year-old father, Peter.

In a statement read to Winchester Coroner’s Court, a policeman who attended the scene said Mr Jones’s body had its “feet up on the recliner” in his living room and was facing the switched-off television.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Jones’ heart weighed 636 grams, almost double the average for a typical male.

Consultant pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri told the inquest that hearts weighing more than 500 grams can "cause sudden death at any time” but there was no evidence Mr Jones suffered a heart attack.

He said the cause of death was a combination of hypertension and obesity leading to an irregular heartbeat.

A post-mortem found drugs used to treat hypertension and epilepsy in Mr Jones’ blood, but not at doses strong enough to kill.

Family told the inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court that they were not aware of Mr Jones suffering epileptic fits.

Delivering a verdict of natural causes due to hypertension and obesity, senior Central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short said it "must have been very difficult" for Mr Jones' father to have found the body.