The body of a man was found hanged in the garden of his new home when a neighbour saw his distraught young son crying on the doorstep, an inquest heard.

Hayat Ali, 48, was found dead in a gazebo in the back garden of his home in Bushey Close, High Wycombe on October 7 last year.

Amjad Khan was carrying out some work at the front of his home at around 9.30am when he heard a young boy “crying loudly” outside a neighbour’s house.

Mr Khan said the boy and his father had only recently moved into the property from Dudley, West Midlands, and were in the process of decorating it.

He said: “The boy started saying his dad had killed himself. I went round to the garden and I saw him hanging. I called 999. They had only moved in recently so I didn’t know their names.

“The boy was banging his head on the wall asking ‘why has he done this?’ and ‘why wasn’t I there, I could have helped him’.

“I shouted for some other people to help. My father looked after the boy. I was told to cut him down in case there was a chance he was still alive and I laid him on the ground.

“Then the ambulance came and started working on him. I left the house when it started to fill up with relatives.

“I never really spoke to him. As he was moving in I said hello but that was it.”

DC Christopher Hatton from Thames Valley Police, who was one of the first people on the scene, said no notes were found during a search of the house.

He said: “He was in the process of decorating the house. There was no indication that he would do anything like this. He never mentioned it to anyone. Everyone I spoke to was very shocked.”

Professor Ian Roberts, who carried out the post-mortem, said Mr Ali’s neck injuries were “in keeping” with hanging.

At an inquest into Mr Ali’s death – which was attended by his devastated wife and daughter – was held at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.

Senior coroner Crispin Butler recorded a conclusion of suicide.

He said: “Mr Ali’s death was as a result of hanging. No notes were found but it is clear from the method used that this required a degree of prior planning and intent.

“There doesn’t seem to be an indication that he would be found and saved and that leads me to a conclusion of suicide.”