A CANCER scare hung like a black cloud over the life of a Hereford man as he planned for his golden years, an inquest heard.

Arnold Williams became increasingly obsessed with his health until he eventually took his own life on August 19, 2002 - just over a year before his 65th birthday. A post mortem revealed he had been clear of cancer.

Mr Williams was an active man, a 'workaholic' who enjoyed gardening at his Ledbury Road home where he lived with wife, Linda. The two were looking forward to his retirement when in 1999 a tumour was found in his bowel, the inquest in Hereford heard last week.

That one was benign but a second appeared and tested positive for cancer and his life was turned upside down. Mrs Williams found her husband of 43 years hanging from a beam at their home.

Deputy coroner for Hereford, Mark Bricknell, heard that the tumour in Mr Williams' colon had been successfully removed.

A colostomy operation followed, after which, Mrs Williams said, her husband was in constant pain and became depressed.

Pains in his pelvis and feet sent her husband into a downward spiral of depression. His GP, Dr Adrian Eyre, of Hereford's King Street surgery, said many of his complaints were psychosomatic.

Obsession

"This obsession seemed to be ruling his life and there seemed to be few occasions when he said he was feeling well," said Dr Eyre.

Mr Williams was referred to Hereford's Stonebow Unit for mental health treatment. He saw Dr Ken Godbert of Herefordshire NHS Community Mental Health Services.

But giving evidence, Dr Godbert said he believed Mr Williams' physical symptoms had been real and the mixed messages he had received about his health had caused some of his problems.

"We thought it was likely he was suffering from a severe mental illness. Mr Williams never recovered in any stage during the two years I saw him," said Dr Godbert, who had tried all treatments for depression on his patient.

He added: "My impression was that he was suffering from real symptoms... The sort of symptoms he was complaining about you couldn't disprove or prove. That was one of the problems for him."

Recording a verdict that Mr Williams took his own life, Mr Bricknell said: "There's very little evidence of anything untoward as far as far as the treatment he received is concerned.

"The only conclusion we can come to is that there had almost been too much assistance (from health professionals). We can't be sure his symptoms weren't physical."