A footballer fell seriously ill and died as a result of days

of heavy binge drinking on an end-of-season team holiday, a

coroner ruled.

Mark Drew, from Gloucestershire, was admitted to hospital

after he returned home from Vilamoura, in Portugal – where he,

while drinking with his 10 team- mates at Horsely United FC,

had downed in excess of 40 pints of lager and 30 bottles of

alcopops in five days.

At an inquest yesterday, experts ruled Mr Drew, 27, died as

of organ failure bought on by acute pancreatitis caused by

excessive alcohol consumption. He returned home on May 14 last

year, but visited his local pub in Horsley, near Stroud, where

he played skittles with friends and drank another five pints of

beer.

The following day he called a friend and team- mate Keith

Grant to ask for a lift to hospital because he had severe

stomach pains.

While he was in hospital he also contracted superbug MRSA in

his lungs.

The inquest heard Mark contracted the bug at Gloucestershire

Royal Hospital's intensive care unit.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Gloucestershire

coroner Alan Crickmore, ruled out the possibility the

killer-bug was responsible for his death and warned of the

dangers of binge drinking.

But outside the court, Mr Drew's family hit out at the

ruling and accused the NHS of covering up the impact MRSA had

on Mr Drew's death.

Speaking at Gloucester Shire Hall yesterday, friend and

team-mate Keith Grant told the inquest Mr Drew, from Horsley,

was not "a big drinker".

He said: "We moved from bar to bar until 11pm, and then went

to a club where we would stay until 2am. We would drink solidly

with a break at 7pm for dinner.

"We all drank about 10 pints of lager and seven or eight

bottles of alcopops.

"Mark seemed fine, he was a bit drunk on occasion but was

certainly not paralytic."

Doctors at Stroud General Hospital diagnosed Mr Drew with

pancreatitis and immediately transferred him to Gloucestershire

Royal Hospital, in Gloucester.

Mr Drew's condition deteriorated and he was transferred to

the intensive care unit, where he contracted MRSA.

But the MRSA was isolated before it caused any infection and

it was the effect of the pancreatitus that led to multiple

organ failure, the inquest heard.

Despite a last effort to treat Mr Drew at a specialist unit

at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, he died on June 5 2007.

Mr Crickmore said: "I'm satisfied MRSA has in fact played no

significant part in his death.

"MRSA has been a distraction to the family because of the

terminology used to explain the condition of Mark. Although

Mark was found to have MRSA, there was no infection.

"I'm satisfied Mark suffered severe acute pancreatitus due

to the consumption of alcohol.

"His death does show the dangers of alcohol and acts as a

warning against the possible adverse and unexpected affects of

alcohol."

Outside the inquest, Mr Drew's brother Kevin, 31, said

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital had "covered up" the effect MRSA

had on the death.

He said: "All through this, all we've heard is Mark's

drinking was to blame. We think this is unfair and are sure

that MRSA was to blame.

"It could have done him no good at all to contract MRSA

while he was in hospital and we're convinced this played a part

in his death."