A man left individual letters to family members and his partner before hanging himself in woods.

Daniel Brown, of Deal, had experienced mental health issues in the past, an inquest heard.

He had once gone into a police station with a knife saying he wanted to kill himself.

A coroner today gave a conclusion of suicide.

Geoffrey Smith, at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone, said: "The evidence leads me to the conclusion that not only did Mr Brown intend to kill himself, he did."

In a statement, Mr Brown's partner Michelle Westlake said a couple of days after his death she found a number of items had been left for family members, including individual letters for relatives.

She said: "He thanked me and said he never felt more loved by anybody."

Mr Brown, 33, was a labourer, born in Caerphilly, south Wales, who lived in Middle Deal Road, Deal.

He was found hanged in a clearing in woodland near Bettleshanger Road, Deal, on the morning of Sunday, July 14.

Ms Westlake said he had been at her home, less than a kilometre away, the night before and all seemed well.

She had gone to bed at midnight but he stayed up to have some beer.

Ms Westlake got up at 7.30am on July 14 and found that he had not come to bed.

She went to his flat to look for him and got no answer at the door.

At 9am that day a dog walker found the body and called the emergency services.

Det Sgt Martin Williams told the inquest that the body was in an area with no CCTV and was only accessible on foot.

There was no sign that the body had been dragged to the scene, he said.

The remnants of a campfire was found near the body and a few empty beer cans.

A toxicology report said that Mr Brown had 96 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, just over the drink-drive limit of 80.

He had also taken substances such as amphetamines.

A post mortem examination confirmed cause of death by hanging.

Evidence, read out in the hearing revealed Mr Brown had brought in a knife to a police station on September 4, 2018.

"He thanked me and said he never felt more loved by anybody" - Michelle Westlake

Kent and Medway Social Care Partnership Trust were involved in Mr Brown's mental health care.

He was assessed but was not considered to be in a condition to detain him compulsorily.

Mental health nurse Duncan Skinner said in a statement that Mr Brown had suicidal thoughts.

He added that Mr Brown was also alcohol dependent and took drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines.

Ms Westlake said that she and Mr Brown had originally been in a relationship for nearly six years, living together.

But he had moved to his father's home last November when he had a mental health episode.

Mr Brown stayed at Ms Westlake's place in the last couple of weeks of his life and their relationship went well again.

She said he had two sons from two past relationships and was not able to see them often.

Ms Westlake added that Mr Brown's family were in Wales and he had said that she was the only person he had close by.

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