AN unemployed man hanged himself after a long-running dispute with a neighbour, an inquest heard yesterday.

Maurice Hauxwell, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, was visited by police after a row in which he had threatened his elderly neighbour.

Just days later, the single 55-year-old man was found hanging from a loft beam by his mother, Annie Hauxwell, the Darlington inquest was told.

Mr Hauxwell's sister, Eunice Gill, told Darlington and South Durham Coroner Colin Penna that she had not spoken to her unemployed brother for almost six years because of his "frightening" temper.

In a statement read out to the inquest, Mrs Annie Hauxwell told how her son was upset following the police visit.

When she came back from a shopping trip to Cockerton Green, she went upstairs and found his body.

She said that she knew there had been a dispute between her son and his neighbour for about two years.

"I was worried about this because he was really upset and kept talking about the visit from the police," she said.

PC James Honeyman, of Darlington police, said he visited Mr Hauxwell at home following the complaint from his elderly neighbour.

He said: "The gentleman was alleging that on returning from a walk with his dog he was confronted by Mr Hauxwell in their shared drive and had been threatened with violence.

"When I got there the elderly gentleman was shaking. Mr Hauxwell had scared the living daylights out of him."

PC Honeyman said that when he visited Mr Hauxwell, it was agreed that both neighbours would contact their housing association, which could act as a mediator in the dispute.

But when contacted by the housing association, Mr Hauxwell refused to co-operate.

PC Honeyman said Mr Hauxwell had been agitated by his neighbour's back door slamming and waking him up when the elderly man took his dog for a walk each morning.

The coroner said: "I suppose we could say it is Mr Hauxwell's temperament that unfortunately has blown this, even for him, out of all proportion and he has taken a snap decision."

Mr Penna recorded a verdict the Mr Hauxwell took his own life.