Kennedy’s cause of death revealed

Charles Kennedy.

Charles Kennedy died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcohol addiction, his family announced in a statement on Friday.

Mr Kennedy, the former Liberal Democrat leader who lost his seat at last month’s election, died unexpectedly on Monday at the age of 55.

His family said in the statement: “Charles’s death was caused by a major haemorrhage and the report makes clear this was a consequence of his battle with alcoholism.

“We are grateful to the many friends and also medical experts who sought to help down the years but ultimately this was an illness Charles could not conquer despite all the efforts he and others made.”

They also spoke of the tributes that had been paid to the politician saying: “It has become all too apparent to us how much Charles meant to so many people and how many lives he touched.

“We were grateful that his young son Donald was able to attend the Commons session where so many MPs spoke so warmly about his father. The words and images of that day, and of so many other tributes, will be there for us to look back on with pride in Charles, and Donald will always know what a special father he had.”