A loving family man who died in the woods near a Norfolk beauty spot had been suffering from insomnia and health anxiety before his death, a court has heard.

Brian Allen, of Bradwell, was found unresponsive in Waveney Forest, close to Fritton Lake, on April 27 after telling his family that morning he needed to get out of the house.

An inquest into his death heard tragic details of the weeks leading up to his death at the age of 66.

Norfolk Coroner's Court heard that Mr Allen, who was a retired accountant, had lived a healthy life which saw him very rarely attend the doctors.

But in the last weeks of his life, he began worrying about his health after attending an NHS health check, which identified high blood pressure.

He was asked to monitor this at home, which showed lower levels, leading to the belief this was white coat syndrome - a phenomenon whereby discomfort at being at the GP leads to higher readings.

READ MORE: To read all obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.

A few weeks later though, he developed a sore throat, which he feared may have been cancer. He was referred to ear, nose and throat specialists who ruled this out, but he continued to worry and began to suffer from insomnia.

On April 22 he was referred to wellbeing services and was due to attend an appointment on May 1 - days after he died.

In a statement read to the court, his family said: "He was a man always on the go and hated not being able to go out.

"He was a loving family man who loved being in the countryside, walking his dog and pottering around the house.

"He loved life."

Senior coroner Jacqueline Lake concluded his death was suicide.

  • Samaritans can be contacted 24/7 on 116 123.
  • The NHS First Response Service is available at all hours via 111, requesting the mental health option.