LICENSEE Bob Gregory hanged himself over worries about paying for the cost of refurbishment of the Gretna Green pub, Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, an inquest heard.

Mr Gregory, 51, was found hanged in the pub cellar by his wife Andrea, on Sunday, June 25.

Mrs Gregory said although they had the money to pay for the £25-30,000 revamp he was worried that they were not getting the extra customers they had hoped for.

She said: "We wanted the revamp doing, the pub was in desperate need of it. The rent went up as well as paying for the revamp.

"The brewery wanted us to put on entertainment but it all costs money. I cannot blame the brewery."

When the inquest was opened last week, Mrs Gregory said her husband had formerly had the Bridge pub at Barrowford for 13 years.

He then moved to South Shields where he worked in a factory before they returned to Lancashire to take over the Gretna in March. Bob became more stressed and hyperactive. The pub re-opened in April with an arrangement to pay for the refurbishment by increased rent. The regulars returned but there was no increase in trade.

He handed in his notice after both the Gregorys had been to see the doctor and both had taken a separate week's holiday in Benidorm.

He was given sleeping tablets but flushed them down the loo. He had taken anti-depressants on the two days before he died.

Mrs Gregory said that on Sunday she saw him at 10.30am when he said he was going to the bottle bank.

Later she heard their dog crying at the cellar door. She went into the cellar and the dog led her to where she found her husband.

Recording a verdict that Mr Gregory killed himself while depressed, East Lancashire Coroner David Smith said: "It is clear you both wanted the refurbishment at the pub. Not only was it necessary to bring it up to standard it is something you both wanted.

"When it came to repaying the money it seems he could see only regulars and no increase in trade and it all got too much for him."

Mr Smith added: "It seems unusual to me that that when a brewery owns a pub you have to pay for the refurbishment. The business did not take off as you hoped and it became too much for him and he decided to take this way out."