A late night sex encounter led to tragedy for a bisexual father who died on Clapham Common, an inquest heard.

Eric James, 46, died in the early hours of Wednesday, June 30, shortly after having sex with a man who said he had taken poppers and started having a fit.

Mr James was, in fact, having a heart attack and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedic at 2.30am, Westminster Coroners Court heard this morning.

Deputy coroner, Doctor Shirley Radcliffe, said: "It would appear that this death has been clearly linked with the use of poppers or Amyl Nitrate during a sexual encounter.

"Sadly this can lead to a very sudden death from an arrhythmia [irregular heartbeat] from which it is not possible to resuscitate the individual."

Dr Radcliffe concluded Mr James had died of misadventure from the unintended consequences of using Amyl Nitrate, the chemical compound found in poppers, which were often used by some gay men during intercourse.

Mr James was found with a small bottle of the chemical at the scene, according to Detective Rory Wilkinson of Wandsworth CID, who had initially suspected foul play but, following an investigation, found no evidence of a suspicious death.

Despite being described as a loving father to a 14-year-old daughter, Mr James had suffered from bouts of depression and stress due to his bisexuality, the court heard.

In a written statement, Dr Naseem Akbar from Balham Medical Centre revealed how the former IT worker had complained in 2002 of being bullied by homophobic gangs near his home and his general difficulty in coming to terms with being bisexual.

In 2010, he alleged being beaten up after suffering head injuries requiring stitches and was been treated for stress and insomnia.