A HEAD teacher doused herself in paraffin and set herself on fire after being suspended over allegations that she had bullied staff, an inquest was told.

The hearing was told that mother-of-five Nassim Akhtar, died in her smoke-logged Toyota people carrier, which she had parked on a farm track off Burnley Road, Altham.

She had been suspended pending a formal investigation into complaints about her behaviour, which also included claims that she had used inappropriate language, the inquest was told.

Her brother, Mohammed Rafique, told the hearing that his sister had not opened up to him about the problems with her job at Cheatwood Primary School, Cheetham, Manchester.

He said that initially, the 40-year-old, of Mayville Road, Brierfield, had not told her family that she had been suspended and claimed she was not going to work because she was poorly.

When she did reveal that she had been suspended on November 13, she didn't go into detail but her brother said it was obvious it had affected her.

He said she stopped going out and was often heard talking to other people on the telephone about the situation.

He said that on the day of his sister's death, Thursday January 4 this year, he had been concerned when she hadn't returned home.

"After an hour I started panicking," he said. "I rang her mobile but she didn't answer."

Speaking after the hearing he said that the suspension was his sister's only problem at the time of her death.

"There was nothing else bothering her," said Mr Rafique.

The inquest heard that Mrs Akhtar, who had previously worked at schools in Brierfield and Nelson, was appointed head at the school in September and the disciplinary investigation was still ongoing at the time of her death.

Det Sgt Michael Cross told the hearing that on the day of her death Mrs Akhtar left home in the early afternoon asking her husband, Jameel Akhtar to collect the children from school.

She left saying she would be back in a short time.

At 4.15pm Adam Ashworth was driving along Burnley Road towards Padiham when he saw her Toyota people carrier parked on the track leading to the Old Engine Cottages.

He stopped to investigate but when he approached the car could not see inside because of the dense smoke.

Mr Ashworth smashed the front driver's window but still could not see inside.

When fire officers arrived they found Mrs Akhtar's body slumped in the foot well behind the front passenger seat.

A fire investigation carried out by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Steve Cope revealed that the fire had been confined to the middle row of seats.

He said that in his opinion Mrs Akhtar had deliberately set fire to herself and he said that ,while she would have had the opportunity to escape, she chose not to.

Coroner Michael Singleton, recording a verdict that Mrs Akhtar killed herself, said it was difficult to imagine a more distressing set of circumstances.

He said he wished to publicly commend Mr Ashworth for his actions on the day.

The medical cause of death was given as inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injury.