Music shop owner Elwyn Lloyd took his own life after his marriage broke down, an inquest heard today.

Mr Lloyd, 47, was found hanging at a property in Loophill, Bromham, where he had just moved in, in the early hours of June 6 last year.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His friend, Philip Heffernan, who found Mr Lloyd’s body, told Wiltshire coroner David Ridley that he and Mr Lloyd had become friends through their respective sons.

Mr Heffernan said: “He was more a friend of my wife, Jo, and texted her quite a lot in the days leading up to his death.”

He told the inquest that a last text received by Mrs Heffernan at 11.30pm on June 5 caused them great concern and Mr Heffernan drove from his home in Gaisford Chase, Worton, to Bromham, which took about 20 minutes.

He said: “The house was in darkness and the doors were locked. I drove home to get a torch and when I got back I shone in through the window and saw Elwyn.”

Mr Heffernan finally managed to gain entry to the house and cut Mr Lloyd down before calling the emergency services.

He said that Mr Lloyd, who owned a music shop in Swindon, had suffered depression since his marriage broke down and he had tried to commit suicide on two earlier occasions.

Mr Ridley said he was satisfied that Mr Lloyd had hung himself by a belt attached to the top of the banisters at the house in Loophill and that he had intended to take his own life.