Dad, 23, found dead at home

A 23-year-old dad was found dead at his home after buying drugs from 'Pills R Us' on the dark web and the Telegram messaging app.

Connor Laycock had struggled with a drug addiction from the age of 15, an inquest into his death heard. His drug use escalated from cannabis to ketamine, which his family believe he took every day, Lancs Live reports.

He repeatedly sought help from substance abuse organisations and from his mum Gemma, and in the months before his death he had managed to cut the amount of ketamine he was taking from 3.5g a day to 3g a week. But tragically, on April 12 this year, he was found dead in his bed surrounded by tablets.

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Police forced their way into his home after his girlfriend Amy and his sisters couldn't get him to answer the door. Connor, from Colne in Lancashire, died of multi-drug toxicity, a coroner ruled at an inquest at Accrington Town Hall yesterday (September 9).

The inquest was told how the dad had admitted buying benzodiazepines, also known as 'benzos', on the dark web via the Telegram messaging app. Drugs, including medication not prescribed in the UK, would then be posted to his home address.

Toxicology tests carried out after Connor's death revealed he had several drugs in his system which contributed to his death. In a statement, mum Gemma said: "The drug use started when he was 15 or 16 when he took cannabis then it escalated to ketamine.

"I'm unsure how much or how often he was taking it but prior to December I believe it was every day." On the night of April 12, Gemma went to Connor's house along with his sister Olivia after concerns were raised by his girlfriend Amy.

Gemma said in her