A man who tied a dog collar round his neck and wore a rubber face mask while experimenting with sex toys suffocated to death, a court heard.

Richard Gilbert Reade, known as Gill, 51, of Rotherwood Road, Putney, died in his bedroom while trying out the equipment on November 10.

His wife found his body when she returned from work later that day.

In a statement to police, read out at Westminster Coroner's Court last Tuesday, she said: "Gill had taken to amusing himself in the bedroom. I got home and found him on the floor wearing leather items including a mask. He was unresponsive and I called an ambulance."

Paramedics failed to resuscitate him and his body was taken to St George's Hospital.

A postmortem revealed Mr Reade had substantial quantities of the solvent butal nitrate in his blood.

Toxicologist Jennifer Button said it is sold in sex shops and is readily available on the internet. She added: "It is taken for its euphoric effects and the fact that it intensifies sexual experience." However, Dr Peter Wilkins said he thought Mr Reade died from asphyxiation, not the substance he had taken.

Coroner Paul Knapman said: "On the bed was a box containing sex toys which could be said to be used in the furtherance of slightly unconventional sexual behaviour. The mask was closely applied you can imagine with that pulled over your head it may obstruct breathing."

The court heard Mr Reade, a head chef, had been married for more than four years and was also a keen musician and artist.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Mr Knapman said it seemed that nobody else had been involved in the incident and there was nothing suspicious about his death.