A WINDOW dresser who had everything to live for and no apparent problems hanged himself from the stairs at his home.

An inquest in Blackburn heard that Matthew Donald Jolley had spent the day shopping with his partner Julian Begg and Julian's sister Jacqueline before going out for a meal.

And both his companions told the inquest that Matthew's only problem had been with a shop that would only give him a credit note for a pair of shoes given as a Christmas present that he had returned.

Matthew, 30, lived in Wellington Road, Turton, with Julian, his partner since 1995, and on the Saturday after Christmas they and Jacqueline went shopping first in Bolton and then to Manchester, where they had a meal. There had been some "words" because of the shoes.

Julian said they had got in at around midnight and Matthew had apologised before they went upstairs. The following morning, when Matthew wasn't in bed Julian assumed he had slept in the spare room. When he went to look for his partner he found him hanging from the stairs by a piece of cord.

Julian said he could think of no reason why his partner would take his own life. "I can't believe he intended to do that," he said.

Jacqueline Begg, of Dimple Road, Egerton, said she could think of nothing to explain what had happened. "They had their dream house which they had wanted for 12 months, his work was going really well, he had been given a company car," she added.

Recording a verdict that Matthew killed himself coroner Michael Singleton said it would never be known why he had done it.

"It seems to me that Matthew Jolley had everything to live for," said Mr Singleton.