A PENSIONER who had threatened to kill himself was found dead days after vanishing from his Colne home, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told Rennie Grimshaw, who had a history of depression, disappeared from his home in Dent Street on February 21.

He was found dead in nearby woodland where he used to play as a child two days later, the hearing heard yesterday.

His wife Elizabeth said she had gone to pay a bill at the bank and returned to find her husband, who took a number of drugs including anti-depressants and pain killer Distalgesic, was missing.

She told the court her family searched the area including by the entrance to the wood for the 72-year-old in the following hours but could not find him.

Mrs Grimshaw said even though her husband had threatened to kill himself in the past she believed he had not committed suicide.

Police and the Rossendale Mountain Rescue team braved freezing conditions scouring the area before the pensioner was found. Pathologist Alexander Howatt said a post mortem examination found potentially fatal levels of paracetamol in Mr Grimshaw's body which could have been compounded by taking Distalgesic because that also contained the drug.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Richard Taylor said: "He has taken a considerable amount of Distalgesic that tragically has led to his death."