A manager who never took any time off work killed himself because he could not cope anymore, an inquest heard.

Graham Neile, 57, worked long hours in his job responsible for IT at Audi car garages across the south and often could not switch off from work.

Southampton Coroners Court heard how his wife Lesley Neile woke up on November 6 last year and couldn't understand where her husband was.

Mrs Neile, who was too upset to be at the hearing, went out looking for him after she realised he had not taken the recycling or taken the dog for a walk and she found his phone and keys at home.

She followed the route he would normally take with the dog from their home in Abbotsfield, Southampton.

Residents called police when they heard her screams on finding his dead body hanging in a cutway off Kelly Court, in Coxford.

They were complimentary to family and expressed sorrow he was leaving everyone but said he just couldn't cope, coroner Keith Wiseman told.

In a tragic statement read to the court Mrs Neile told how her husband had acted slightly out of character the night before.

Mr Neile, who would usually be alone in the conservatory, went and sat with his wife on the sofa while they watched TV and he had an extra glass of wine.

Heartbreakingly she awoke in the middle of the night to discover him holding her hand- and she went back to sleep.

Her statement told how Mr Neile worked for more than 10 years at Harwoods Aldi garage in Southampton.

It read: “Graham always was a hard worker who liked a challenge.”

But she said he never took holidays, “work overtook his life”, “he would never switch off even when at home” and the work life balance was totally work orientated”.

After his death his employers told that they had been telling him he should take time off.

It added: “Graham was a very nice, genuine person who was very helpful to everyone and sadly things became too much.”

Recording a death that Mr Neile took his own life, Mr Wiseman said there was nothing at all to suggest “anything like this would occur.”