A PENSIONER described by his family as a "proud and stubborn man" killed himself after spending 22 years in pain, an inquest heard.

The family of Joseph Bates, 84, of Allen Court, Burnley, told a hearing at Burnley Magistrates' Court how he had struggled to cope with the pain caused by a severe case of facial neuralgia.

His grandson, Michael Biddulph, found Mr Bates unconscious at his home when he called round to check on him on August 30 last year.

He had taken an overdose of the pills taken to treat his neuralgia and left a note behind for his family. The note was not read out in court. He was taken to Burnley General Hospital where he died three days later.

Mr Biddulph, the owner of a Burnley-based print company, said: "He was a stubborn and proud man and he was canny and clever. His quality of life was all that mattered to him. He hadn't accumulated vast amounts of wealth he just had his own routine and was living day by day but that was eroding.

"If your only pleasure is TV and you lose your eyesight and hearing what sort of life have you got?"

Pathologist Walid Salman said Mr Bates died from an overdose of prescribed drugs but was also found to have contracted bronchopneumonia, possibly while in hospital.

East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor said: "I have a picture of a proud and stubborn man who knew his own mind. One observation would be that he took too many pills to try and obtain respite from the terrible pain he had been in for the last 20 years of his life.

"In the letter he refers to having falls and being far too old. It could be interpreted in a number of ways but my belief is that he did decide that he was going to end his own life and that's the verdict I'm going to record."