AN inquest has been opened into the death of a man who was found collapsed outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Wrexham town centre.

Stephen Matthew Jones, 38, from Penley was named at the inquest opening held in Ruthin.

Jones, who worked as a mill operator, died on December 14.

His death was reported to the coroner by North Wales Police as Jones was reported to have attended the Maelor hospital three times within a 24-hour period from December 13.

John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales east and central, told the hearing that records show Jones initially presented himself to Wrexham A&E at 1.45am but did not wait to be seen.

He said Jones was taken to hospital by ambulance at around 2pm having collapsed in a KFC restaurant. He was discharged shortly before 5pm when checks on his bloods and ECG levels returned as normal.

He was again taken to hospital at 7.36pm after being found unresponsive at McDonald’s restaurant.

He received treatment and then discharged himself from hospital at 1am on December 14 but later located sleeping at around 3am in a side room but left, believed to have walked into the town centre.

It was after this that he collapsed at the McDonald’s store on Regent Street, according to police records, and an ambulance was called.

Mr Gittins said further tests would be requested, including a post-mortem and toxicology exam, to establish a cause of death. He said the matter would proceed to full inquest and the family will be notified in due course of the date.