The BBC's Sarah Sturdey reports from the inquest

Lloyd, 49, who played detective Tosh Lines in the ITV series The Bill, was three times over the drink-drive limit when he choked on his own vomit last May in the Dove Clinic, in Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire.

It came just a few days after losing his job because of his drinking.

South Staffordshire Coroner Reginald Browning recorded a verdict of misadventure on the father-of-seven after hearing how the actor had died from inhaling his own gastric contents.

Mr Browning said: "It is always tragic if anybody dies in circumstances such as these. It is even more poignant when that person is so talented.

"He crumpled under the burden of stress. He took to alcohol and in the end it killed him."

He had also been suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.

Mr Lloyd had also been prescribed a "cocktail" of drugs to beat alcoholism.

In a statement read out by the Lloyd family's solicitor, Arthur Titterton, Mr Lloyd's ex-wife Lesley said: "When Kevin died he was at his lowest ebb ever.

"We spoke the day before he died and I arranged to visit him the following week.

"It's all so sad and such a tragic waste."

'Prisoner'

Pathologist Dr David Green told the hearing that the drugs would have impaired Mr Lloyd's level of consciousness and reflexes, including his ability to cough up material blocking the airways.

Dr Pradeep Singhal, of the Dove Clinic, told the hearing that Mr Lloyd felt he was a "prisoner" and had abused staff.

After meeting Mr Lloyd he refused to treat him because he would not abide by the clinic's rules, added Dr Singhal

Friends and family mourn the actor

The Bill star discharged himself from the clinic on the morning of his death.

Nurse Dorothy Tonks, of the Dove Clinic, told how, some time later the landlady of a local pub called to say he was there trying to buy alcohol.

He then returned to the clinic drunk, was very unsteady and lay on his bed.

"He was not fit to be left, he was shouting, swearing and very, very drunk," said Nurse Tonks.

She added that Mr Lloyd had obtained a bottle of whisky and also had a can of lager hidden in his jogging trousers and was obviously very drunk.

The actor was left sleeping in his room in the recovery position with a pillow behind his back, watched by two members of staff, until about 4.40pm.

At that time the staff were called away after it was decided that checks would be made every five or 10 minutes, said Nurse Tonks.

But at 5pm nurses found him blue with vomit in his mouth. Efforts were made to resuscitate him but they were unsuccessful.

The Lloyd family's solicitor, Arthur Titterton, said after the inquest that a decision on whether or not to sue the Dove Clinic would be taken "subject to advice".

Lloyd tried to kick habit

The coroner, Mr Browning, read written statements from Mr Lloyd's ex-wife Lesley and girlfriend Rita Hudson, both present at the hearing.

Mrs Lloyd said the couple met in 1974 but parted in the mid-1990s because of his drinking problem.

The actor had met Rita Hudson after the split and she told the court she tried to help him kick the drinking habit.

But Ms Hudson said Mr Lloyd drank when under stress and tried unsuccessfully several times to give up.

He had been "devastated" at losing his job, she said.