A CORONER has concluded there was no evidence of neglect in the care of a York man who died after suffering an epileptic seizure in supported living accommodation.

Jon Heath said Danny Tozer, who had autism and learning disabilities, died of natural causes, suffering brain damage following a cardiac arrest after having the fit in his bed at a house in Bishopthorpe, run by the charity Mencap.

He also concluded that an epilepsy sensor mat under Danny's mattress, which failed to go off when Danny had the seizure, had been switched on.

But he said he found communication between Danny's family and Mencap and City of York Council - which commissioned his care - had not been satisfactory.

Danny's parents spoke out after the inquest, claiming the evidence they had heard painted a picture of 'confused and inconsistent support, a lack of monitoring, no overall coordination, an absence of leadership, and no one person or agency prepared to take overall responsibility for Danny's care.'

They said in a statement: "This chaotic care became dangerous for Danny and our concerns went unheeded."

They said learning disabled adults should not die on average 20 years before their non-disabled peers, their deaths frequently uninvestigated.

"We were shocked that we had to fight for two years to get an inquest into the death of a physically healthy and active 36 year old.

"Danny's senseless death has devastated his family and friends. He had so much to live for. As parents, we are proud of how Danny approached life. He lit up our lives."

John Cowman, Director of Services at Mencap, said Danny had been a 'lovely man' and the charity's team had been very fond of him and he was sadly missed.

"Our thoughts are with his family and of course the focus today should be on them," he said.

“We are so very sorry that Danny died. Inquests are difficult processes and we sincerely hope that today’s conclusion has brought Mr and Mrs Tozer answers to their questions.

“This was rightly a thorough investigation, and we need time to reflect properly on all the evidence we have heard.

"Mr and Mrs Tozer felt that at times Mencap fell short of the high standards which we set ourselves. This is of huge concern to us and we very much hope they will work with us, should they wish to do so.

"The work they have done in the memory of their much-loved son has made and will continue to make a difference.”

Martin Farran, corporate director for health, housing and adult social care at City of York Council, said it acknowledged the coroner's findings and was 'committed to learning and improving practice'.

He said it was grateful for the input that Mr and Mrs Tozer had provided during a difficult time for the family.

“In 2017, with the support of his family, we commissioned an independent review so that we could learn from what had occurred.

"This has been shared with the family and partner agencies, and the coroner/inquest. Subsequently we developed the key findings into an action plan to ensure that improvements are made where required.”