A coroner has called the death of a well-known doorman a “tragic loss to society.”

Stuart Alexander McKenzie was found in the loft of his grandfather’s house at Pearl Road in Salterbeck last August.

Senior coroner David Roberts concluded that the father-of-two died as a result of suicide.

“Tragedy is an overused phrase in so many cases but this certainly is a tragic loss of a young man,” added Mr Roberts.

The inquest heard that the 33-year-old had moved into his dad’s house on Pearl Road just weeks before his death after separating from his partner, and mother of his children, Liza Quinn.

On the day of his death – August 15 – Mr McKenzie had called Miss Quinn several times.

Following a disagreement between the pair, the engineer called her, threatening to take his life.

Miss Quinn immediately rang his aunty but, around 15 minutes from the call, Mr McKenzie was found hanging in the loft of his granda’s house, which is also on Pearl Road.

Miss Quinn said: “He was a good dad. He always did everything for his kids and put them first. He wasn’t mentally unstable, he just had too much going on.”

His father, Raymond, said: “He was always quiet and kept things to himself. He would only tell you what he thought you wanted to hear. He was Stuart – happy-go-lucky.”

Mr McKenzie worked at Forth Engineering in Flimby.

He had previously been a fitter at Stagecoach and had worked as a doorman for a number of years.

Mr Roberts added: “It seems to me that he had just got himself into such a way that day, he wasn’t thinking clearly.

“He was extremely upset and was behaving out of character.

“It happened in such a short space of time and he clearly didn’t give anyone any time to help or to think things through.

“Because he was 33 and doing so well, it’s a loss to society as well.”