A POSTMAN who could not cope with the breakdown of his marriage took his own life, an inquest heard.

Father of two Michael Wayne Blears, 42, of Clough Road, Bacup, was found by his son Michael Wayne junior at 8pm on Thursday, April 8.

He was hanging by a rope from the loft entrance above the landing.

A step ladder was nearby and notes were discovered by police in his trouser pockets.

Pathologist Dr Abdul Al-Dawoud gave the cause of death as hanging.

Mr Blears junior told how his father had been depressed since his wife had left and had made two previous attempts on his life by taking overdoses.

Mr Blears junior told the inquest at Rawtenstall: "He had been depressed since my mum left two months ago and had talked about ending his life.

"He talked to me about what happened when he took the overdoses and said he had wanted to die.

"When he woke up the following day, he changed his mind and called an ambulance."

Mr Blears had been off work since last May with a back injury. His wife, Wendy, of Rose Street, Bacup, also a postman, said she saw her husband on Tuesday, April 6, when she told him she was seeing someone else.

He went to her house later that day and when he left said goodbye to his grandson on more than one occasion but did not say he was intending to end his life.

Mr Blears junior said he saw his father after work on the Tuesday before his death.

He said his father rang him later that night after spending the night with his father, Peter Blears, at his house in Burnley Road East, Lumb.

In a written statement Peter Blears said: "He was very desperate and could not cope without his wife. He was obviously very depressed."

Recording a verdict that Mr Blears killed himself while depressed, East Lancs coroner David Smith told Mrs Blears: "There were marital differences and you felt you could not stay.

"He was obviously upset and, as we have heard, became very depressed, perhaps more depressed because there was someone else involved."

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