DETECTIVES have reopened an investigation into the death of a man in Southampton after new evidence came to light at his inquest.

Hampshire police said they will look again into what happened in the final hours of Peter Malley's life after it emerged that a mystery man may have supplied him with a lethal cocktail of drugs that later killed him.

The information came to light during the hearing into the death of the 38-year-old yesterday.

Coroner Grahame Short was told how Peter Malley had been clean of drugs for ten years but died on June 23 after taking a cocktail of alcohol, cocaine and heroin whilst staying with his friend Fiona Ferguson at her home in Millbrook, Southampton.

The two had met through a mutual friend 18 months previously, and had been talking online.

The court heard how in the hours leading up to Mr Malley's death, the pair had taken drugs and drunk alcohol at the house in Barters Close and he had made contact with another man to order more crack cocaine.

Giving evidence, Ms Ferguson then said she fell unconscious in her bathroom having taken heroin and woke up to find Mr Malley dead in her bedroom and the other man still in her home.

She told the court: “The other man stayed because once they smoked the crack cocaine Peter said he wanted to get some more, so they went out. That happened two or three times.”

The inquest was told how Ms Ferguson was arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug but later released without charge.

But the inquest was halted when Detective constable Gavin Jordan, based at Shirley police station, told the coroner he was not aware of the other man.

He said: “Today is the first time that I heard another man was there. With this new information I can make some more enquiries.”

Speaking after the hearing DC Jordan confirmed that the case would now be reopened following evidence that a third person was involved.

Mr Malley, 38, suffered from anxiety and depression, and lived with his parents in Little Derril in Devon.

His father, Kennith Malley, told the hearing his son had been clean of drugs for ten years until his death.

Grahame Short, senior coroner for central Hampshire, returned a verdict of mixed drug overdose.