A PRISONER who died after collapsing in his cell at HMP Berwyn jail in Wrexham may have taken the drug spice, it was revealed at the opening of an inquest yesterday.

Luke Morris Jones, 22, was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital after being found unresponsive on the evening of March 31 but despite efforts to save him he died about an hour later.

David Pajur, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, said Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers, following a post-mortem examination carried out at Royal Liverpool University Hospital, had given the provisional cause of death as a “cardiac event” which was likely to have been linked to his use of the drug spice.

Further toxicology and histology tests are to be carried out and Mr Pajur told the hearing in Ruthin that there was to be an investigation by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman so he would not fix a final date for a full inquest until that investigation had been completed.

It is likely that a pre-inquest hearing will be held before the full hearing.

The funeral of Mr Jones, of Pen y Gwndwn, Manod, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, will take place on Friday, April 13.