A ZIMBABWEAN student living in Bury committed suicide over fears he could not afford to return home.

Dalubuhle Ncube, known by his family as Dalu, was obsessed with his ambition to return to his homeland after moving to England in August, 2001.

An inquest in Bury heard how Dalu was found hanged at his home in Goldfinch Drive, Bury, on September 14 last year.

His mother, Nokuhle, a nurse living in Essex, London, told the hearing how her son was also worried that he had contracted HIV although tests carried out when he was alive proved negative.

Dalu was studying in Manchester and was working part-time as a health care assistant but was struggling with his finances.

Nokuhle said: "He was worried that he wouldn't be able to pay his course fees but, more importantly, he was obsessed with getting home to Zimbabwe."

The 22-year-old used a cable from a lawn mower to hang himself from the attic at his house where he had lived since June of last year.

After hearing evidence, Bury coroner Mr Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of "a deliberate act of self harm while the balance of Dalu's mind was disturbed."

He said: "Dalu was a young man who had a number of difficulties with regard to his education, his finances, his health and his aspirations to return home to farm cattle in Zimbabwe. These problems weighed heavily on his mind."