An alleged drug dealer overdosed and died when a packet of cocaine burst in his mouth as he tried to hide it during a police raid, an inquest heard.

Charles ‘Chad’ Allford tried to hide the Class A substance when he was confronted by an officer during a raid in Derbyshire.

But the package then broke open in his mouth, causing the 23-year-old to ingest a large amount of the drug.

Police officers tried “various methods” to get the cocaine out of Mr Allford’s mouth, including asking him to spit it out, and a coroner recommended more “guidance or training” to help officers in these situations.

When they realized he had swallowed the drug, one of the officers called an ambulance to treat Mr Allford for an overdose.

An inquest found there was “no evidence” that the police had contributed to Mr Allford’s death.

Father-of-one Chad Allford, 23, died in police custody when he tried to hide drugs in his mouth.

While paramedics waited, Mr Allford was taken to the driveway of the house, where his health “decreased rapidly”, he began to have convulsions and struggled to breathe.

He was then taken from the home in Alfreton, Derbyshire, to King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire, where he died on the evening of 27 October 2021, the same day as his arrest.

The inquest, held at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, Derbyshire, heard last month from a pathology report that it was “highly unlikely” any medical intervention would have helped Mr Allford because of the “significant levels” of cocaine in his blood .

The inquest jury ruled that Mr Allford died from the effects of cocaine and recorded a finding of accidental death.

Now Derbyshire area coroner Susan Evans has issued a warning about the training officers receive in making drug arrests.

She was concerned the officers put their hands in Mr Allford’s mouth, which could have caused him to choke on the plastic bag.

Hundreds of people attended an emotional vigil for Mr Allford

In a report on preventing future deaths, Ms Evans said: “Police attended (an address) in Alfreton following a planned operation involving the supply of Class A drugs, to make an arrest.

“After unsuccessful attempts to gain entry using keys and a bailiff, police officers gained access through an open door at the rear of the property. Following the confrontation with a police officer (he) put a package of cocaine in his mouth.

“(Police) used various methods to try to control Mr. Allford and although each instructed Mr. Allford to spit out the drugs, none warned him of the risks to his life of not doing so.

“It was not clear that the officers understood the importance of communicating the dangers.

“The officers tried to open his mouth and sweep the drugs out of his mouth with their hands.

“A number of officers gave evidence that they were unaware of some of the risks inherent in putting their hands in someone’s mouth, including the risk of packages entering the airway and therefore choking.

“I am concerned that there is no standard provision for the guidance or training of police officers in units tasked with making arrests for drug-related offences, so that the team can make informed decisions when faced with this situation.

Dozens of floral tributes and balloons were placed at the end of Morewood Drive

“In the Personal Safety Manual, it is described as a ‘common tactic used by some subjects during arrest to conceal controlled drugs in their mouths.’

“In my view, there is a risk that further deaths will occur if action is not taken.”

Derbyshire Constabulary and the College of Policing have until December 19 to respond to the report.

An Independent Police Conduct Commission inquiry also concluded the day after the inquiry.

They found that officers used “reasonable force” to try to stop Mr Allford from ingesting the drugs and that there was “no evidence” that police had contributed to Mr Allford’s death.

IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Allford’s family and all those affected by his tragic death.

“When someone dies during or after detention, it is important that the circumstances are thoroughly and independently investigated.

“From the evidence we gathered, we were satisfied that the force used by the officers in attempting to arrest and detain Mr Allford was necessary, reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, as was the force used in attempting to prevent ingesting what was thought to be Class A drugs.’