A homeless Newquay man died a day after he was released from jail, an inquest was told.

Matthew Brinton had made headlines in 2016 when he was filmed getting into an Audi TT sports car after a day begging on a street.

Brinton, who has spent years on the streets in Newquay, with his dog asking for money, had claimed the expensive car was bequeathed to him by his grandmother.

He said the motor was later stolen and that he received death threats as a result of the car episode.

Last week a Truro inquest heard that 42 year old Brinton was freed from a Devon jail on April 1st last year.

But within a day the drug addict was found dead at a friend's room in Newquay.

The coroner was told that Brinton was freed from Channings Wood prison at Denbury, Devon, on a Friday - and that there was little support to help vulnerable prisoners released before a weekend.

Assistant coroner Guy Davies ruled that Brinton had made himself intentionally homeless when he left the prison.

He said he died from mixed drug toxicity and concluded his death was drug related.

But he said new legislation was coming in to allow prisons to release vulnerable inmates up to 48 hours before a Friday and avoid difficulties with weekend releases.

Channings Wood governor Peter Waddington told the inquest it would have been illegal to detain prisoners after their release date.

He said: "Our hands are completely tied by legislation. I really wish we could have released him a bit earlier."