A successful ex-journalist shot himself fearing his health would worsen and he would become more helpless.

Thomas MacNeece, 81, killed himself with a shotgun in a woodland, in a “planned exercise”, a coroner decided last Wednesday .

He left notes displayed in his car windscreen saying where his body could be found.

Det Sgt Stephanie Devon said that Mr MacNeece had feared he would have to end up in a residential care home and have to sell his house to pay for it.

Rachel Redman, Central and South East Kent Coroner, concluded that Mr MacNeece had taken his own life and said: “He had a history of heart disease and had a stents procedure.

“He was clearly very concerned about his future. He felt residential care would be an enormous financial burden.

“It was a planned exercise. The note left in his car saying his body would be found 20 yards away indicated intent.”

Mr MacNeece, from Tanners Hill, Hythe, was found dead in woodland near Winterage Lane, Acrise, last December 12.

Thomas MacNeece worked as a journalist and was a nephew of war hero Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

Ex-colleague and friend Peter Harris told KentOnline after the inquest that Mr MacNeece had telephoned him a few hours before shooting himself.

Mr Harris, who lives in Cheshire, said that the two kept in contact every Christmas, talking on the phone and exchanging cards.

He said: “He rang me that morning, which was unusual because he would usually ring in the evenings.

“He seemed composed but he talked about his illness and that he had been in a good deal of pain.

“He said he didn’t expect to be around for much longer and I thought by that he meant his health, but he said: ‘If you send me emails don’t be surprised if you don’t get a reply.’

“Again, I thought he was referring to his illness and that he would probably die of his heart condition.”

Mr MacNeece had helped to write Monty’s biography but also had a distinguished career as a journalist before becoming a civil servant.

He had worked for major press agencies in France and Germany and Mr Harris and Mr MacNeece worked together on the Manchester Evening News in the early 1980s.

Mr MacNeece had been there for four years before he moved to the Bolton Evening News.

Mr Harris said: “Tom was a bit of a loner but was very affable. He liked to go on long country walks. He liked his own company, which is why I think he married late. He married for the first time in his 70s.”

“He was a good journalist with extremely good connections.

“He covered The Troubles in Northern Ireland for the MEN and while the press corps stayed at the Europa Hotel in Belfast he got a room in Stormont (Northern Ireland Parliament Building).”

Mr Harris said that Mr MacNeece also had superstars such as Brigitte Bardot as contacts.

Police were called to the woods found Mr MacNeece had left three notes displayed in his car windscreen.

One was for the AA vehicle recovery service, another told where his body would be and one apologised to the police for the trouble.

Other letters, to his wife and friends, were found in his house.

The inquest, at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court, heard Mr MacNeece had a coronary artery stent put in at Hammersmith Hospital in London on November 27.

He had regular chest pains and was woken up by pains at 2am on December 9. He was then taken by ambulance to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and discharged the next day.

A nurse had discussed with him getting community support at home and he feared he would have to end up in a residential care home.

Det Sgt Stephanie Devon said: “He was worried he would lose his independence and self respect and be a burden to his wife. He was worried his house would have to be sold to pay for his care.”

A post-mortem examination confirmed that Mr MacNeece had died from a shotgun wound to the head and had not been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.