A biker drove into the front of a Chinese takeaway while holding his crash helmet under his arm.

An inquest has heard Brendan Meadows made no attempt to avoid hitting the premises and had revved the engine.

Mr Meadows, 35, died after striking the front of the Yummy Chinese takeaway in London Road, Deal, on January 2 this year.

Mr Meadows crashed at 11.10am and one of several bystanders saw him carrying his helmet under his arm at the time.

An examination of the motorcycle found it had no evidence of mechanical defects.

The inquest, at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone, heard he had died at the scene from multiple injuries.

A police report to the hearing said that there was no evidence that Mr Meadows had even tried to brake.

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Health professionals in statements to the inquest said that Mr Meadows had been getting treatment for mental health problems.

He would have suicidal thoughts and his state of mind worsened during the pandemic lockdowns.

He had made several attempts on his own life since the first lockdown of March 2020.

The inquest heard that Mr Meadows, who was born in Dover, was a network engineering manager who lived in Claremont Road, Deal.

Joanne Andrews, area coroner for North East Kent, concluded Mr Meadows, whose mental health had worsened during the Covid lockdowns, had taken his own life.

She said: "I can say it was suicide. According to police evidence he took no evasive action, was not wearing a helmet and was revving.

"He undertook this action to take his own life.

"It is terrible that this should happen."

Mr Meadows lived with his partner and they had been a couple for two years, having been friends for 13.