A RETIRED army officer was found hanging from the loft of his home.

Geoffrey Hunt, 84, of Andrews Close, Tarvin, formerly an engineer and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, died at his home address on October 13.

His son Peter told an inquest that it was 'not his father' who had taken his own life.

Mr Hunt had become increasingly depressed and anxious about his own illnesses and those of his wife.

On two previous occasions Mr Hunt had harmed himself. In June 2005 a neighbour found him suspended by a ligature from a rafter in the loft and later that year he had been taken to hospital with an overdose.

Peter Hunt said: 'He was very closed about the incidents when he harmed himself in fact it was almost as if they hadn't happened.'

He explained how he went to his father's house in order to take him to visit his wife Enid in hospital but got no response.

He called the police who forced entry to the property and found Mr Hunt who was already dead.

Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: 'There is no doubt whatsoever that Mr Hunt took his own life. A very explicit note was left by Mr Hunt.'

He added that he accepted the evidence of Peter Hunt that this was not something the deceased would have done in his normal state of mind. He recorded a verdict that Mr Hunt had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.