A SCHIZOPHRENIC died after he doused himself in white spirit and set light to himself.

Christopher Raymond Burridge, of Lindsay Walk, Cuddington, took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed, a coroner at Crewe Magistrates Court ruled yesterday.

A post-mortem examination found the 37-year-old died from inhalation of toxics through combustion.

His father Nigel Burridge found his son ablaze in his bedroom on February 19 this year and tried to rescue him. Mr Burridge snr said: 'I realised something was wrong when the fire alarm went off at about 1pm. I went up to the landing and I could see a light at the gap under the door.

'I opened the door and there he was ablaze.

'I took the fire extinguisher from the opposite bedroom and sprayed it on him. I dragged him downstairs on to the hall floor.'

Fire investigators said they found four-and-a-half litres of turpentine substance, clothes soaked in the liquid and matches in the room.

Michalan Tamblay A psychiatric nurse had known the victim since 2000, told the inquest that he had been on anti-psychotic drugs since 1987.

He said: 'At a review in 2000 Chris said he had active psychotic voices commanding him. 'They stop me doing what I want,' he said and said he saw messages through the television and radio.

'In October 2003 he was still suffering from chronic schizophrenia. He had perceptual disturbances and voices. He was struggling to trust people. He had a history of aggression and suicidal attempts, he was in social isolation.'

His parents said Christopher had threatened to jump out of his bedroom window and earlier had threatened to throw himself out of the car his father was driving.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: 'The cause of fire was a deliberate action on behalf of Christopher soaking clothes in white spirit or turpentine substitute. It needed a deliberate act to ignite a fire.'

Verdict: Suicide.