A 56-year-old man who was rushed to hospital from a police cell had drunk the equivalent of more than five times the drink-drive limit, an inquest heard yesterday.

Anthony Wildman, of Highgate, Heaton, Bradford, and a drunken friend had been picked up by officers after a taxi driver had left them near the junction of Bingley Road and Haworth Road in Bradford.

Coroner's officer PC Alan Pritchard said Mr Wildman had got "hopelessly drunk'' before a taxi arrived at Whetley Lane Working Men's Club to take the two men home.

He said the men were so drunk they could not tell the taxi driver where to take them and they were assisted out of the vehicle.

Mr Wildman ended up on the pavement and a concerned passer-by contacted the emergency services.

After an ambulance crew found no injuries on him, Mr Wildman was detained in a cell at Toller Lane police station after officers were unable to find out his home address because of his drunken condition.

Regular checks were kept on Mr Wildman, but later that night officers failed to rouse him and he was taken to hospital with a head injury. He was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary but died the next day.

Mr Pritchard said a post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Wildman had suffered a fractured skull and tests on a blood sample revealed an alcohol level of 450 milligrams. The legal limit for driving is 80 milligrams.

Mr Pritchard noted that even the 450 milligram reading was the level some five hours after Mr Wildman had stopped drinking and it was estimated that the level could have reached as much as 550 milligrams.

He confirmed that such a level was in the region of known fatal amounts of alcohol.

Coroner Roger Whittaker adjourned the inquest for further inquiries, including an investigation by the Police Complaints Authority. He also wanted to know how Mr Wildman had come to be served so much alcohol.

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