A MOTHER whose son was found hanged has issued an emotional plea for people to share problems rather than take their own lives.

Colleen Jardine’s world fell apart on June 14 when her son Gary, 27, was discovered hanging from a banister at his home in Gurlish West, Coundon, County Durham.

Mr Jardine, who lived with his partner, Shelley Dursdon, and their six-month-old baby son, Tyler, gave no indication that he would take his own life, and Mrs Jardine said his death had devastated the family.

“We just cannot understand why he did this, it came like a bolt out of the blue,” said Mrs Jardine, who has two other sons, Paul, 29, and David, 18.

“Gary was upset that day because it was the anniversary of his friend’s death, and he’d had a drink, but there was no reason for him to do it.

“He was buying a house, he idolised his baby and he had a happy-go-lucky nature. He was very well-liked, and always full of fun and daftness.”

His father, Geoff, and other family members, battled to resuscitate Mr Jardine before the emergency services arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mrs Jardine said hundreds of mourners attended his funeral, including dozens of his colleagues from C and A Roofing in Evenwood, where Mr Jardine had worked since leaving school, and brought the traffic in Coundon to a standstill.

She urged people who were feeling down, or facing problems in their lives, to share their feelings with someone.

“I want to speak out about this, even if it saves only one more family from going through the nightmare we are facing,” she said.

“Do not keep things bottled up. Go and seek some help, and talk to someone about how you feel.

“I still keep expecting him to walk through the door, or wake up and find it’s all been a dream.

“We’re taking things one day at a time, but it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

A spokesman for Durham Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Jardine’s death, and that an inquest had been opened and adjourned.