An investigation is to be held after a Walthamstow man died due to an overdose on prescribed medications.

Robert Alcock, 35, was found dead at his home in Chingford Road on August 24.

Emergency services had attended his home after concerns were raised about his welfare.

An inquest into his death was opened at East London Coroner’s Court, Walthamstow, on Friday, November 8.

“Mr Alcock was found laying upon his bed. He was unresponsive,” senior coroner Graeme Irvine told the court.

“Unfortunately, by the time the ambulance service arrived, it was determined that resuscitative attempts were futile.”

He was identified by a friend.

Mr Irvine ordered a post-mortem examination, which gave Mr Alcock’s cause of death as “acute drug toxicity”, as a result of “polypharmacy related drug overdose”.

That means he took a number of different drugs which, together, killed him.

However, the drugs were not named in court.

As Mr Alcock’s death was unnatural and drug-related, Mr Irvine said he was formally opening an investigation into it.

He ordered his coroner’s officer to obtain various statements and documents to be used as evidence in Mr Alcock’s inquest, including statements and logs from those who attended his home on the day of his death and copies of his medical records.

Mr Irvine specifically requested “a statement confirming why he was prescribed the medications he was receiving at the time of his death".

He declared Mr Alcock’s next of kin an interested party in the inquest.

Interested parties have the right to view evidence before the inquest is held and question witnesses when it gets underway.

The full inquest will take place on May 14, 2025.