A MAN who was tormented by tinnitus killed himself only hours after he talked to his doctor about committing suicide, an inquest heard.

Mark Hughff was found hanged in a wooded area west of a picnic site in Broompark, near Durham City, on March 31.

An inquest held at Chesterle- Street Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday how the Darlington man had visited the town’s Whinfield Surgery hours earlier.

Mr Hughff, of Redmire Close, who was a keen table football player, said he was suffering from tinnitus and had considered suicide.

In a statement read out at the inquest, his GP, Blanca Martin, said: “He was very annoyed at the symptoms and he expressed suicidal thoughts, but I assessed him and I didn’t think he was a high risk.”

Detective Sergeant Cliff Thomson told the inquest a receipt from a hardware store for a ligature and a leaflet about tinnitus were found on Mr Hughff.

He said his inquiries had concluded that there was nothing, other than the tinnitus, in Mr Hughff’s background that caused any concern.

Det Sgt Thomson said: “He was content, happy and financially secure. He wasn’t a person who wanted for much and he was quite happy with the lifestyle he had.”

Det Sgt Thomson said he did not find a suicide note, but he was content there was no third party involvement and Mr Hughff’s death was not an accident.

Mr Hughff’s father, Alan Hughff, told the inquest he and his wife would never understand why their son had taken his own life.

He said the 42-year-old had rarely had any time off work in 20 years and was “conscientious about everything he did”.

County Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle recorded a verdict that Mr Hughff had taken his own life.

He said on the day of his death, Mr Hughff went to see his doctor about his tinnitus and mentioned suicide to his doctor.

Mr Tweddle said: “Unbeknown to anyone, and certainly his parents, this tinnitus issued was causing far more concern than he was letting on, because it seems to be the only explanation.”