A former PE teacher who fled the Ukraine to work illegally in Britain died from an overdose of heroin and alcohol.

Andrey Gotsko, 25, had used false papers to get a job working at the building where he was found dead, an inquest was told yesterday.

A fellow Ukrainian who found the body fled the scene but was later arrested for immigration offences and on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.

Roman Hetman was ruled out of any involvement in Mr Gotsko's death but was later deported, the inquest at Brighton Magistrates Court heard.

Deputy coroner Matthew Orde recorded an open verdict into Mr Gotsko's death because he said there were still unanswered questions.

The inquest heard Mr Gotsko borrowed a large amount of money from his mother in the Ukraine to enable him to come to Britain in May 2002.

In December last year he was helping convert 48 Queen's Road into flats with a team of about 20 employees, some of them fellow Ukrainians and illegal immigrants.

Detective Inspector Jacqui Griffiths said police in Brighton received a phone call at 6.45am on December 27 from a Mr McCaully, saying one of the workers had been found dead.

The police went to the building and found Mr Gotsko slumped face down on the floor with a plastic garden chair on top of him.

He had a cigarette tucked behind his ear and a syringe was found under his leg.

Mr McCaully told police he had received a call at 1.30am that day from Mr Hetman who had also been working and sleeping at the building.

In a panic after finding Mr Gotsko dead, he fled to London and called Mr McCaully to report what had happened.

Mr Hetman feared he would be deported because he was in Britain illegally.

Ms Griffiths said Mr Hetman was persuaded to return to Brighton where he was arrested on outstanding immigration matters and on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.

She said: "He provided police with a statement and explained that he and Andrey Gotsko had travelled to the UK to find work as the wages in their country were low. They had lived in the same village."

Mr Hetman told police Mr Gotsko had popped out on the night of December 26 but he did not know where. Mr Gotsko returned with a glazed look in his eyes.

Ms Griffiths said: "There were several things that concerned myself and those running the investigation: The age of the victim - he was very, very young and should have been very fit - and there were no obvious marks on his body."

Police discovered the names of two other Ukrainians staying at the address but were unable to trace them as witnesses.

Ms Griffiths said they strongly suspected the missing witnesses were also illegal immigrants.

Detectives traced Mr Gotsko's mother in the Ukraine and spoke to her through an interpreter.

She said although she had not seen her son for a long time she was unaware he used drugs or drank to excess.

Ms Griffiths said: "We did take some time looking at the final results not only from the post-mortem but also the search of the scene and forensics.

"We submitted the syringe to the forensic laboratory looking for DNA which was not Mr Gotsko's but the results came back that with the DNA of Mr Gotsko and no other biological matter.

"Mr Hetman was the only person who was a suspect and he was not implicated. There were no signs of assault on Mr Gotsko himself and so there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death."

Dr Vesna Djurovic, who carried out the post-mortem on Mr Gotsko, told the hearing he died from an overdose of alcohol and an opiate drug, probably heroin, which caused cardio-respiratory failure.