A farm worker was found hanging in a barn after his friends were unable to contact him, an inquest heard this week.

Michael Taylor, 67, was found by his childhood friend at the farm he worked at in Chalfont St Peter on December 6 last year.

Mr Taylor, who lived in a caravan on a farm in Fulmer, had been given notice by his landlord, Adam Redding, who was in the process of buying the land and building a house there.

The court heard this discussion had happened some time ago, so it did not “come as a surprise” to Mr Taylor.

In a statement read out to the court, Mr Redding said he became worried about Mr Taylor when he did not come out of his caravan one evening and was not in there when he went to check.

He said: “At around 7.30pm, I knocked at his caravan and it was unlocked.

“I went inside and the property was in darkness.”

Mr Redding then sent Mr Taylor a text message asking where he was and if he was okay, but did not receive a response.

Mr Taylor’s friend, named only as Fred, arrived the next morning to try and find his friend.

Together, Fred and Mr Redding went inside the caravan and saw his personal possessions laid out on the dining table.

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Mr Redding said there were two picture frames with the photos taken out and he found the setting "strange", which is when he started to worry and reported Mr Taylor missing.

He explained that he had agreed that Mr Taylor could live on the property until the house was built, adding he had even offered a friend’s place for Mr Taylor to live at afterwards so he would not be left without a place to live.

He said: “Michael always said ‘don’t worry about me’.”

In a statement read out to the court, Mr Taylor’s friend Ben Gardiner said he had known Mr Taylor since he was two years old.

He said: “He was a farmer, but he would do other jobs such as gardening.

“He has been working there [Parkwood Farm, Chalfont St Peter] for around five years.”

Mr Gardiner added: “He was very kind-hearted, he would always help people.

“I was not aware that he had any mental health issues.”

The court heard from Mr Taylor's GP who said he was not known to mental health services and that he had high blood pressure.

He also went to see his doctor in August 2020 in connection with a hernia.

Mr Taylor's daughter told police after his death she thought he might have suffered from depression which was undiagnosed.

Mr Gardiner said he became worried about Mr Taylor on December 6 and decided to go to his caravan to speak to his other friends, to find out who had spoken to him last.

In his statement, he said he decided to stop off at Parkwood Farm “and hoped that he was just working there”.

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He said he walked over to the tractor shed and opened the barn door to see who was inside as he heard a phone ringing.

He walked towards the ringing and saw Mr Taylor hanging in the barn. He called 999 and was asked to go back inside to see if there were any lifesaving opportunities.

Mr Gardiner added: “I could tell that Michael couldn’t be saved.”

Mr Taylor’s mobile phone was found in his pocket, as well as two pictures of his children.

A toxicology report found no drugs or alcohol in his system, and the medical cause of death was recorded as hanging.

Assistant coroner for Buckinghamshire Alison McCormick concluded his death to be a suicide, saying: “No note was found stating what his thoughts were or giving reasons why.

“I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that he did the act that ended his life.

“I am satisfied that he intended to end his life because of the method that he chose and the location that he chose where he was unlikely to be found.”

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