A former North-East soldier mired in debt shot dead his wife and their two young children before turning the shotgun on himself, an inquest heard today.

Anthony Smith, 34, shot his wife, Kay, 33, in the head before turning the gun on their six-year-old daughter, Gemma, and her brother Adam, three.

Creditors were closing in on Mr Smith, originally from Houghton-le-Spring, in County Durham.

He owed up to £450,000, Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Deanus of Surrey Police, told Woking coroner's court.

The four bodies were discovered by police who broke into their £350,000 home on the Heathside Park estate in Camberley, Surrey.

The victims' wounds were so bad they had to be identified from their DNA.

Surrey Coroner Michael Burgess recorded a verdict of suicide in the case of Mr Smith and unlawful killing in that of his family.

Mrs Smith's mother, Norma Harkess, also from Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, told the hearing in a statement that her daughter had met her future husband when she was just 14.

The statement said: "They became childhood sweethearts, inseparable and devoted to each other. Kay was a "devoted mother, loving wife who gave her time to others.

"She was easy going and never raised her voice. I believe that Tony and Kay loved each other deeply and their children.

"I loved Tony very much, but at this moment I have mixed and confused feelings for him.

"I firmly believe that if Tony wanted to die, he would have wanted to go with both Kay and the children." The court heard that the family was last seen by neighbours on February 1.

Four days later a next-door neighbour concerned about milk and post building up alerted police. The bodies were found upstairs at their five-bedroom home on February 5.

Mrs Smith was found lying on the main bed with her son next to her and Gemma was lying on her bed in her bedroom.

All died from gunshots wounds to the head and there was no sign of any struggle, according to pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl.

Mr Smith, who was a car dealer and former sergeant in the Coldstream Guards, was found lying on the landing. He had tried to kill himself in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom, but only caused a superficial wound to the jaw.

Dr Fegan-Earl said he stumbled on to the landing and killed himself with a second blast to the head.

He explained that neighbours' suspicions might not have been aroused because the shots were muffled because the muzzle of the gun was held to the head.