A 29-YEAR-old who suffered from depression and anxiety was found dead in woods near his home in Little Chalfont, an inquest heard.

Craig Barnfield, of Cumberland Close, Little Chalfont, was found hanging in woodland on May 19 off White Lion Road by his partner, Phillippa Madams.

She told the inquest at Wycombe Law Courts that he suffered from depression and anxiety over several years which lead to episodes of poor sleep.

He had tried to take his own life with an overdose at Easter and had been to hospital for psychiatric support, she said.

Ms Madams said on the day he died she had left him in bed when she went to work as he had not slept at all the night before.

She came home early to let in a BT engineer and Mr Barnfield got up at 4 or 5pm before taking their dog for a walk at 8pm.

Ms Madams went to look for him after he did not return home when he should have. She said he always went to the same place and found him.

Coroner Richard Hulett recorded a verdict that he took his own life.

He said: “Sadly this was a young man with prospects, as I am told he was in the last year of a degree, who suffered long term with anxiety and depression and sleeplessness, which had been a major factor in driving him down.”

He said the post mortem results showed he hung himself and he had taken a significant amount of cocaine in the hours before he died.