A FATHER found dead in his garden took his own life, an inquest heard.

Jason Askew, 46, was found hanged in the garden of his home in Rawtenstall in November last year.

The inquest at Blackburn Town Hall heard that Mr Askew had been struggling with depression.

He had been taking anti-depressants and had sought help for it.

The hearing was also told that he had been drinking quite a lot in the recent time before his death.

Mr Askew had left home on November 21 and returned on the evening of November 22 having consumed a lot of alcohol.

He then left the house, on Alder Avenue, at about 9pm and it was thought he was going to sleep in the summer house, but he was discovered dead the next day.

A post-mortem examination recorded Mr Askew's medical cause of death as asphyxiation by hanging.

Toxicology tests showed that Mr Askew had 160mg of alcohol per decilitre in his system, twice the legal drink drive limit.

Detective Inspector Rachel Higson, of Blackburn CID, said Mr Askew's death was not suspicious and there had been no third party involvement.

She added: "I interviewed his immediate family and was told he'd been under a lot of a stress and had been drinking too much."

Recording a conclusion of suicide, East Lancashire assistant coroner Richard Taylor, said: "Jason had been drinking alcohol and had been taking a therapeutic dose of Sertraline, the effects of which would have been reduced by the alcohol.

"He also had numerous stresses in his life and on the night of November 22, he went outside to a secluded part of the garden where he couldn't be seen and easily found.

"That suggests a small element of planning and there is no alternative explanation, so I'd have to return a suicide conclusion."