A scientist was found dead the morning after he had stayed late in a laboratory working with freezing liquid nitrogen, an inquest heard.

Damian Bowen, 32, was discovered by colleagues at the HIV laboratory connected to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in west London, five years ago.

The geneticist and biomedical scientist was working alone as he used a flask of liquid nitrogen to freeze samples of blood, the jury inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice heard.

The inquest was told that liquid nitrogen can make the air in a small room unbreathable very quickly.

The sister of Mr Bowen, of Hackney, east London, tearfully told the court she hoped the inquest would be able to give answers to the family.