A 70-YEAR-OLD Abersychan man died of asphyxia from smoke and fume inhalation at his home, following a fire in his bedroom.

Colin Hosking, better known to family and friends as 'Tinto', lived alone in a flat on High Street though in poor health.

An inquest was told that Mr Hosking, a smoker, had been visited by his sister Jennifer Long and her husband shortly before his death, but they had no cause for concern.

They were due to take him to the Royal Gwent Hospital on February 26 this year to have a hearing aid fitted.

But at around 8pm on February 25, police officers came to tell them he was at the hospital following a fire, and while they were there, a message came through that he had died.

Brother-in-law Alex Long, married to Mr Hosking's sister, told The Argus that their community had lost a "real character".

The 68-year-old said: "He was well known in the Pontypool area, and people knew him as Tinto - a nickname he was given as a young child which stuck.

"He was a real character, known for enjoying a few drinks and for his boisterous behaviour, but most of all he loved to chat with anybody.

"When Colin came into a room he wouldn't take long to start up conversations with everybody there."

According to Mr Long, his brother-in-law had suffered badly with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in recent years.

Senior coroner for Gwent, David Bowen, was told that Owain Rhys Powell, a carer, had visited Mr Hosking at around 6pm on February 25.

He had attended to Mr Hosking’s needs and in a statement said that at one point Mr Hosking had become 'quite aggressive' and wanted no assistance.

In a statement, Mr Powell said that as he completed his record book Mr Hosking, who had been smoking 'all the time', appeared with three unlit cigarettes in one hand, and switched on the television.

He had left at 6.30pm with Mr Hosking sitting in the living room watching television.

Firefighters responded to a call involving the flat a little while later, and found it on fire and smokelogged. Mr Hosking was unresponsive and resuscitation was attempted at the scene.

It was concluded that the fire was caused by careless use of smoking materials, with a verdict of accidental death.