A coroner has said it “is very sad someone can die this way” after there were “several missed opportunities” before the death of an Andover man.

Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp made the comments during an inquest into the death of Leigh Anthony Gidel, who was found dead in an Andover flat no answer on the door for “several days”.

An open verdict was given for Leigh’s death, with a post-mortem being inconclusive as the body had decomposed ‘markedly’ before it was found.

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how the 33-year-old had “become a bit of a recluse” after becoming estranged from his family, and being evicted by his parents in 2014.

The former chef moved to a flat in Andover in 2015, where neighbour Emma Bryan told the court she rarely saw him in person, and that on one occasion, she had supported Leigh’s mother after he didn’t answer the door to her.

Dr Philip Pride, from Shepherds Spring Medical Centre, told the court in a statement that Leigh had been diagnosed with depression and low mood in 2017, and that he “sat in his room all day with no friends.”

He was advised to clean up his room and start walking, as well as to begin applying for jobs after he expressed an interest in walking again.

However, Leigh missed a follow-up appointment and wasn’t seen by the surgery again until 2019. At that visit, he reported having had some suicidal thoughts, as well as seeking medical attention for cellulitis in his right leg that was “oozing and leaking”.

He was prescribed medicine and booked a follow-up appointment, which he again did not attend.

Later that year, on October 9, officers from Aster Housing arrived at Leigh’s flat to evict him following “large arrears” in rent. After gaining access to Leigh’s property, an Aster employee called for an ambulance as they “did not believe it was safe.” Due to the circumstances, Leigh’s arrears were met by the housing association.

An ambulance crew attended his address, with Leigh having weeping sores on both his legs, which were so severe he “could not put his shoes and socks on.” The crew noted that Leigh, who weighed 206kg at the time of his death, had folds of skin in contact with his ankles that were wet.

Inside his flat, paramedics said he had no bedding or flooring, saying that “other possessions are non-existent.” Leigh told them he had been unable to leave the flat for three months, and that food was delivered to the flat.

As a result, Leigh was taken to Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, and due to suspicions of “self-neglect,” he was referred to the vulnerable adults team. He was advised to soak his legs daily due to “significant infection” in his leg, and was to be given a referral to a specialist clinic once he had a stable housing situation.

Leigh left the hospital and spent the night at a Premier Inn, before being offered accommodation by Two Saints at Dene Court in Andover.

Emma Bryan was a manager here, and during that week said she became “very concerned” after finding blood at the bottom of the stairs in a communal area, as well as “coming through the roof”.

She subsequently called police, who required the fire brigade to break down the door of his flat on October 17. Inside, they found Leigh’s body.

A post-mortem conducted into Leigh’s death was inconclusive, with the cause of death uncertain due to “marked decomposition.”

However, the pathologist noted that Leigh had an enlarged right ventricle of the heart at the time of his death, as well as an enlarged liver and hardening of the kidneys.

Summing up, the coroner said it was “really quite unbelievable in this age that you can disappear from society like this and die alone in a house,” noting there had been “several missed opportunities” to intervene.

She speculated that the infection in Leigh’s legs may have played a factor in his death, and said that “death is likely to be associated with the enlarged heart.”

However, because other causes of death could not be excluded due to decomposition, the coroner recorded an open verdict into Leigh’s death.