A YOUNG man who died from a brain haemorrhage after a suspected stroke had laughed off his family’s suggestions that he should go to hospital.

Andrew Henderson, aged 31, was found by police in his Westhoughton flat on March 4, two days after his sister had urged him to seek medical help.

Mr Henderson’s sister Sara Ridings, also from Westhoughton, raised concerns on March 2, when her brother looked unsteady and was slurring his speech.

His father Paul Henderson said: “This was an accident, just one of those things.

“He was a good lad and would do anything for anybody. He will be sorely missed by us all.”

Ms Ridings told the court that her brother had “laughed off” any suggestion he should go to hospital and was walked home on foot by Ms Riding’s eldest son.

Mum Sheila Henderson was away when her son died but said he had complained of headaches when he last spoke with her.

Dr Patrick Waugh, a consultant pathologist at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said Mr Henderson’s symptoms indicated he was experiencing the early stages of a stroke.

He said the large haemorrhage which killed Mr Henderson was probably caused by high blood pressure or a weakness in a blood vessel in the brain.

The court heard Mr Henderson, of The Pewfist, Westhoughton, was unemployed when he died and had started binge drinking a few years earlier, which led to an acute kidney injury and jaundice caused by dehydration.

However, he had not been drinking for the last year and his history of alcohol problems played no part in his death, the court was told.

Mr Henderson died from natural causes, coroner Alan Walsh ruled.

He issued a warning that the death should prompt people to look out for the early signs of a stroke and always seek medical advice.

Mr Walsh told the family: “I cannot stress enough that you could not have done anything more.

“There is a lot of publicity about whether people should go to see the doctor — but Andrew’s death is a classic case of unusual behaviour requiring medical attention.

“If people experience these symptoms they should go to the doctor’s or hospital as soon as possible.”