A TEENAGER from Burnham-on-Sea who battled a host of mental health issues hanged himself after struggling to cope, an inquest heard.

Charley Marks, 18, a former student of King Alfred School, was found dead at his home on Kingsway Road in Burnham by his mother on September 10.

The inquest was held over two days and heard that Mr Marks suffered from a host of mental health problems, including depression, OCD and anxiety, and had been seen by a number of mental health experts and went into hospital several times during his struggles.

In the wake of Mr Marks’ death, his family launched a charity, In Charley’s Memory, to campaign for greater awareness of mental health issues in young men, and that the NHS services had changed the way they dealt with mental health cases following his death.

On the first day, Jo Clement, Mr Marks' mother told the hearing: “On the day of his death, before I went to work at Churchford School, he wished me good luck and that he loved me and that he would see me later.

“His hobbies included rugby, gardening, reading, socialising, watching football – but as his condition got worse all of this stopped.

“He had more time on his hands but he just went downhill.”

The coroner read out statements from Lorriane Waitz and Jaqueline Chedzoy to the inquest, who were both mental health nurses involved with Mr Marks care.

The statements detailed how they had been in contact with Mr Marks shortly before he died on September 10.

Miss Chedzoy said she had some contact with Mr Marks before he died over the phone due to his discharge from hospital on September 4, six days before his death.

It was organised Mr Marks was to be contacted every day by the mental health team because he was "high risk."

Dr Turner, questioned during why no formal log had been made of Mr Marks’ death and why little physical contact had been made with Mr Mark's before his death.

Miss Chedzoy replied saying she met him in person on 10 September, just hours before his death, but upon doing his notes she had done so retrospectively, even though this was not shown on the system.

She then stated Mr Marks had informed her he had been having suicidal thoughts, but that he ‘had no concrete plans’ to take his life and the thoughts were only fleeting.

The inquest also heard from Dr Park, a consultant psychiatrist, and Mr Neil Jackson about the investigations that took place into Mr Marks’ care after his death.

The statements detailed how the plans were in place for Mr Marks’ care operated, how his care was handled and how his death has changed the way that mental health care is run and managed in the area.

Coroner Tony Williams concluded Mr Marks committed suicide on September 10, by suspension by ligature and died from asphyxiation.