Mum Maureen Sargent took her own life because she could no longer stand the chronic pain she had been living with for 11 years, an inquest has heard.

Mrs Sargent, 57, was found dead by her husband Larry on August 17 last year at their home in Kingston Road, Shalbourne.

Mr Sargent told assistant deputy coroner Ian Singleton at the inquest in Trowbridge last week that his wife had suffered chronic pain from an undiagnosed condition for many years.

She had seen numerous doctors and consultants but no cure, or even diagnosis, was forthcoming.

Mr Sargent said: “Her condition deteriorated towards the end of 2009 and got much worse throughout 2010. She couldn’t drive or do anything about the house.

“She said on a number of occasions there was no point in her continuing that way.”

Matters came to a head the day before Mrs Sargent’s death when she found her pain no longer allowed her to walk around the field behind their home, the only exercise she got.

On August 17 Mr Sargent, an accountant, had to go to a business appointment in Coventry. On his way home he phoned his wife three times, without reply.

He said: “I thought something must have happened.”

When he arrived home, he found a hand-written note on the inside front door telling him not to go upstairs. He rang the emergency services.

When he went upstairs, he found his wife on her bed, with a plastic bag over her head.

Downstairs were found two notes from Mrs Sargent, one saying what she was going to do, and the other giving Mr Sargent a list of useful phone numbers and advice about working domestic appliances.

Mr Singleton accepted the cause of death was asphyxiation and said he was satisfied Mrs Sargent had intended to take her own life.