MAINTENANCE foreman Peter Beasley convinced family, friends and doctors he had recovered from a nervous breakdown.

But at work he would stand for hours at the edge of a factory wall asking if he would die if he jumped.

Mr Beasley, 53, of Springfield Avenue, Earby, was found hanged in the Engine Shed mill, New Road, Earby, on Monday, June 26. He had nailed the door closed from the inside, an inquest in Burnley was told.

The two aspects of his life were shown at the inquest.

Elizabeth Beasley said her husband was fine until suffering a nervous breakdown in May last year, when he became mentally and physically exhausted. In February he returned to work, but it was too soon and he was again off work until June 5. "He seemed to be quite all right and perfectly normal. He had improved quite a lot, there was a marked improvement," she said.

The weekend before he died he was perfectly all right, cheerfully socialising with friends and family.

On the Monday he didn't return home for tea at the usual time. She went down to the factory and a man from Johnson and Johnson at the next unit jumped up to the window and saw him hanging from an orange rope. Stephen Leatham of Brogden Street, Barnoldswick, said he had worked with Peter for 10 years. After he returned to work following his breakdown he kept standing on the edge of the factory wall asking if he thought he would die if he jumped.

"It frightened me a bit," said Mr Leatham. "He kept doing it and I was frightened to go near him. One morning he stood there from 8 until10am, came off for a brew and went back from 10 until 12. He also wrote 'die, die' on one of the slates."

Peter Baldwin, a director of the Mill Company Ltd, Nelson, said Mr Beasley seemed all right after he returned to work. He was then given a written warning not to climb ladders or go on to the roof.

He was also advised to see his doctor and another director visited his wife.

Fire and Rescue Service Sub Officer Ron Humphries, of Earby, said they were called to the factory and lowered Mr Beasley down. He knew Mr Beasley and identified his body to the police.

PC James Hollingworth said police were satisfied there was no third party involvement.

Dr Zafar Qureshi said cause of death was shock due to hanging.

Recording a verdict that Mr Beasley killed himself while depressed, East Lancashire Coroner, David Smith, said it was so tragic as he doing his best not to show it to his family, friends or doctors. Nobody at all could have done more to help him.