The boss of a struggling catering company in west Suffolk died after taking as many as 80 paracetamol tablets over two days, an inquest has heard.

Sam Chalmers, of Long Melford, died in hospital in February after initially failing to tell doctors an overdose on painkillers could be behind his symptoms.

The 62-year-old owned the Acton-based catering firm Chimneys Hospitality, which had been the subject of a winding-up petition.

Yesterday’s hearing in Bury St Edmunds was told that a letter and empty bottles of paracetamol tablets were later found at Chimneys Hospitality’s offices.

Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean said: “The letter found at the workplace really gave a sense of some of the pressures he had been under.

“Although no mention was made of any significant paracetamol ingestion earlier in the admission, it’s clear there was a subsequent disclosure of numerous paracetamol tablets being taken.”

Mr Chalmers was first admitted to West Suffolk Hospital on February 18 with chest and abdominal pain, having also been ill the day before.

He reportedly told doctors when he was first admitted that he had woken up with the pains and had been vomiting, but denied taking a drug overdose or using any recreational drugs.

He was transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit the next day and was diagnosed with severe acute liver failure and kidney failure.

It was only after the hospital had started acute liver failure management that doctors were told Mr Chalmers had taken up to 80 paracetamol tablets over two days.

“This confirmed that paracetamol overdose was the cause of the severe acute liver failure,” said Dr Dean.

Addenbrooke’s had no spare beds in its intensive care unit, so Mr Chalmers was instead transferred to the Kings College Hospital at around 5pm on Febraury 19, where he died the next day.

A toxicology test after Mr Chalmers’ death found he had a level of paracetamol in his blood of 121 microgrammes per ml. The normal therapeutic rate is between 2.5 and 25.

Dr Dean said the family had learned of concerns troubling Mr Chalmers after his death, and their background report painted the picture of a “loving, caring husband who always took his responsibility seriously”.

Dr Dean added: “He is described as a proud man, proud of his family, friends, and his achievements in life. He can also be described as a private man, who would not discuss his worries and concerns.”

Mr Chalmers used to work 15 hours a day, six days week, and cooked for the Queen when she visited Bury in her Golden Jubilee year.

He had run Chimneys restaurant in Long Melford for more 20 years until it closed in 2010, while Chimneys Hospitality was crowned the region’s best caterer at the 2014 Wedding Industry Awards.

Mr Chalmers had previously complained of suffering chest pains, but was given the all-clear by experts at Papworth Hospital back in 2012. He had reported feeling increasingly tired in the months leading up to his death.

Dr Dean recorded a verdict of complications caused by a paracetamol overdose.