MYSTERY surrounds the death of a 58-year-old man who hanged himself from a tree in a "quiet and peaceful" spot, an inquest heard.

Trevor Young was found with steel wire around his neck, suspended from a branch on a riverside footpath.

A man walking his dog near Lower Lickhill Road, Stourport-on-Severn, made the grisly discovery on Wednesday, September 18.

At yesterday's inquest in Stourport, Worcestershire Coroner Victor Round said Mr Young had taken his own life, but maintained it was a complete mystery why.

There was no suicide note, there had been no warning and Mr Young had no financial or medical problems.

The post-mortem on the unemployed maintenance worker, who lived alone in Dowell's Road, Kidderminster, found no alcohol in his body.

Mr Young's daughter Clare had visited him three days before he died, and said he had seemed "all right".

Giving evidence, his ex-wife Cheryl said he was a conservative person but could talk about things if necessary. She told Mr Round he had never harmed himself before.

He had retired from British Sugar five years before.

"He didn't want to find another job. He wanted to do things he hadn't been able to do while working," she said.

Mr Round said there were no suspicious circumstances.

"And I've no reason to think he wanted to be interrupted and saved, as a cry for help, because he didn't put himself in that kind of area," he added.

"I'm satisfied that he did this to himself.

"I do prefer to see a note or hear he had that certain state of mind - I have neither here.

"But for some reason he decided to end his life - the reason is just a mystery to everyone."