The family of a Gurkha veteran who stabbed himself to death revealed that he couldn't bear to live any longer with throat cancer.

Sangdup Tamang, 70, repeatedly knifed himself in the chest with the regiment's traditional kukri knife in an alleyway behind his flat.

He was also upset over the Ministry of Defence refusing to pay army pensions to retired Gurkhas like him.

Mr Tamang, dressed in just shorts and a jumper, had staggered out of his home, in Cheriton, near Folkestone, Kent, into the alleyway.

Two builders working on a nearby property saw him plunge the large-bladed knife several times into his chest as he shouted in Nepalese before collapsing in a heap.

Following the incident at around 2pm on Friday, police cordoned off the area while forensics officers carried out an investigation.

Mr Tamang moved to Britain in November last year after a successful campaign led by Joanna Lumley meant retired Gurkhas were given the right to live in this country.

He moved to Cheriton, a community heavily populated by Gurkhas, with his wife Asha Limbu, 45.

The couple were married for over 20 years and had three children - identical twin daughters Asmita and Avinna, aged 19, and another daughter Ansuya, 24.

His family said Mr Tamang was frustrated with his poor health after battling throat cancer for four years.

The cancer had become so bad in recent weeks that he could no longer speak and could only communicate by writing messages which Asmita translated into English.

Asmita, 19, said: "My father was a very gentle and honest man.

"He always wanted everyone to be happy. He was a lovely man who I spent every day of my life with.

"But he was really upset and frustrated at his cancer. He was battling so hard but he felt he was not getting any better.

"He was struggling to get a state pension as well which made him angry.

"He couldn't get one because he retired after the Government's cut-off point of 1979.

"But it was the cancer which really made him depressed and I think that's why he did this.

"We are all shocked and upset by what's happened."

His wife Asha, who works as an office temp, added: "My husband was very proud to have fought as a Gurkha and he was so happy that he could come to live in Britain.

"We're so upset at the moment. It is so terrible for us."

Mr Tamang joined the Royal Gurkha Signals Regiment in 1957 and served for 23 years before retiring in 1981 after reaching the senior rank of Captain.

He fought in the tail end of the Malayan Emergency, a guerrilla war fought between the Commonwealth forces and the Malayan Communist Party.

During his career he was also stationed in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Yesterday floral tributes were left at the scene where he died.

One message said: "Our prayers and thoughts are with the family."

Peter Carroll, the founding member of the Gurkha Justice Campaign, said: "This is terrible news.

"This is a tragedy for him and his family. We will support them in every way possible."

A Kent Police spokesman said: "We are not treating the man's death as suspicious.

"A post mortem will be held in the next few days."

Last week the Appeal Court backed a High Court decision denying Gurkha veterans who retired before July 1997 the same pension rights as their British comrades.

Gurkhas who retired after that date were granted equal pensions three years ago.

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