A family has paid tribute to a talented rugby player who died suddenly at the home of an online date.
Dad-of-three Jamie Kirby played in the Humberside league and also excelled later in life at football.
But the 41-year-old, of west Hull, was found dead at the home of a girl he met on dating website Badoo.
Following an inquest into his death, Mr Kirby’s dad John Kirby praised his son.
He said: “Jamie was a good lad. Despite his problems he was never in trouble with the police.
“He was heavily into his rugby league, taking after me, and he player in the Humberside league.
“After finishing rugby he played football and he was very good at that too. His coach said that had Jamie taken it up when he was younger, he could have played professionally.
“He was a good son who would do anything for us. He lived life at 100mph. He was stick thin and seemed to be as fit as a fiddle.
“He was always riding his bike and it was something he was known for. He went everywhere on it.
Coroner Rosemary Baxter concluded Mr Kirby’s death was drug related. He had small amounts of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and diazepam in his system.
The combination of the drugs and the fact Mr Kirby had unknown severe coronary disease led to his death.
Mr Kirby said: “Jamie’s drug use came as a shock to us. We knew he smoked a bit of cannabis but that was it.
“He suffered anxiety and depression which stemmed from the fact he struggled to find work."
The inquest heard how Mr Kirby had gone round to the Cottingham home of a girl he met on the online dating app Badoo on Friday, October 21.
She was initially arrested by police on suspicion of administrating an illegal substance but, following a police investigation, all charges were dropped.
In a statement, the woman said: “We met on Badoo and we really hit it off. Jamie was keen to meet up, which we did and then he came round to my home later on.
“He brought a few beers and some valium. We were laughing and joking while watching television.
“We went to bed and Jamie quickly fell asleep. He was snoring but when I woke up the next morning he was quiet.
“I thought he was just sleeping and got up and went to the shop to get breakfast. I returned and took him up a cup of tea. I tried waking but he wasn’t breathing.
The woman called for an ambulance but paramedics were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr Kirby said he was proud of his son regardless of his drug use.
“I think he didn’t tell us to try and protect us but we wish he had come to us so we could have helped him through his problems," he said.