A 25-YEAR-OLD Blackburn man was found hanging in the garden at his parents' home just five days after being released from prison.

And coroner Andre Rebello questioned the attitude of society to people with problems and called for greater tolerance and understanding.

The coroner's comments came after he had returned a verdict of suicide on Neil Gudgeon, who died at his parents' home in Kings Road, Mill Hill, Blackburn.

The inquest heard that Neil had a history of being in trouble from an early age and had started using heroin when he was 15. He spent most of his time living rough, in hostels or in prison.

He had been released from prison on March 5 and had gone to his parents' home to collect some clothes. He had collected more clothes two days later and on March 9 had called at about 7pm and had a shower and something to eat before leaving.

His father, Harry Gudgeon, said that Neil had returned at about 10.50pm when everyone had gone to bed. He said he wanted his parents to phone the police so that he would be arrested and said he was going to start trouble. Mr Gudgeon said they were too frightened to let Neil stay and insisted that he left. They never saw him alive again.

The next morning Mr Gudgeon went into the bathroom and when he looked out of the window saw Neil in the garden. He thought he was leaning against the fence and got dressed before deciding to go and speak to Neil. When Mr Gudgeon got into the garden he realised that Neil was in fact hanging from the washing line and was dead.

Mr Rebello said we pride ourselves on being a civilised society. "It is sad that we exclude so many members of humanity from our society. If people do not conform, if they do not want to conform, there does not seem to be an awful lot for them. It is very sad when someone is released from prison that there is not monitoring, support, accommodation and nurturing to enable them to fully rehabilitate back into society, without turning back to things that put them in prison in the first place."

Friends of Neil Gudgeon held a candle lit vigil and placed flowers on the railings of Blackburn Cathedral after his death.

"Neil was loved by some people and perhaps we should all be more tolerant of people with difficulties such as Neil and try to understand why they put themselves outside society and why society excludes them," said Mr Rebello.

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