A prisoner who died of a life threatening illness refused treatment on several occasions, an inquest heard.

An inquest held at Lawrence Court, Huntingdon, on Thursday, December 17, heard that Philip Hopkins had been diagnosed with lymphoma in February but did not undergo any treatment for the cancer.

Mr Hopkins, a prisoner at HMP Littlehey, in Perry, died on August 30, after being admitted to St John’s Hospice, in Moggerhanger, Bedford in the last few weeks of his life.

In a report read out by assistant coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough David Morris, he said: “Mr Hopkin’s opted to have no further life prolonging treatment when asked by many medical professionals.”

It was revealed that the 63-year-old refused treatment because he had been handed an indefinite life sentence by Peterborough Crown Court in 2010.

Mr Morris concluded that Mr Hopkins, from Peterborough, died of natural causes.