Moore was eight times over limit

Rock legend Gary Moore died after bingeing on enough alcohol to put him nearly eight times over the drink-drive limit, tests have revealed.

The guitarist suffered a heart attack brought on by the amount of alcohol he drank at the start of a holiday, the studies showed.

He had 380mg of alcohol per decilitre of blood in his system, more than 30mg the amount associated with fatalities and just short of the 416mg Amy Winehouse had in her body when she died.

The legal limit for driving in Ireland is 50mg per 100ml or decilitre of blood.

The tests also revealed Moore, who was found dead in bed at a Costa del Sol hotel last February, had abused alcohol for years.

No traces of any illegal drugs were found in his body.

The former Thin Lizzy member died at the Kempinski Resort Hotel in Estepona hours after starting a six-day holiday with his partner. Earlier the pair were seen washing down a snack in the hotel bar with champagne and brandy.

His girlfriend raised the alarm at about 4am on Feb 6 last year.

An initial autopsy revealed he had died of a heart attack. Chemical studies were carried out in Seville along with an examination of cells and tissue samples.

A source involved in the investigation said: “All the tests have been conducted and they show Mr Moore died of heart failure caused by alcohol. He had 380mg of alcohol per 100ml [per decilitre] of blood in his body when he died.

“It’s a massive amount of alcohol and enough to send most people into a coma. The tests showed he was a heavy drinker and had been abusing alcohol over a period of time.

“His body just seems to have given up on him that night with all the booze he consumed. He died of natural causes.”