A CADBURY worker found hanged in woodlands was worried about losing his job in the wake of the firm’s takeover by US food giant Kraft, an inquest was told.

The body of Chirk factory worker Michael Patrick Wilfred Davies, 55, was found in woods near Old Chirk Road, Weston Rhyn, on February 14.

Mr Davies’ sister, Susan Elizabeth Davies, said when work needed carrying out on his car she had been surprised to learn her brother was concerned about money, explaining that overtime had been stopped at work and there were fears over jobs following Cadbury’s takeover.

She said she later learned he had also been borrowing money from friends, adding: “I don’t know why he would have taken his life except maybe money worries and loneliness.”

The post-mortem examination, which gave the cause of death as hanging, ruled out any third-party involvement, while a toxicology report showed no drugs or alcohol other than traces of a beta blocker prescribed for high blood pressure.

Born in Chirk, Mr Davies lived at the Meads in Weston Rhyn and later moved to the village’s Brookfields estate. He attended Weston Rhyn Primary and St Martins
Secondary Schools, leaving in 1972 to work for Jones Brothers.

His sister said he had suffered with a stammer but was well liked and part of the local tug-of-war team. He joined Cadbury’s in 1977 where he worked for 32 years, and was described by colleagues as ‘part of the Cadbury’s family’

The last person to see Mr Davies alive was Michael Williams, of Chirk, who had been part of the tug-of-war team. He said he had seen him sitting on a seat near the primary school on his way to work at 8am, but said Mr Davies had waved to him and not appeared upset or distressed.

The inquest heard a statement from a woman who said her children, returning on the train from Wrexham at 4.15pm, had seen a man hanging in the woods.

She said she had not believed them at first, but they had gone to the woods where she found Mr Davies and phoned the police.

Andrew Berkley, assistant general coroner for Mid and North West Shropshire sitting at Shrewsbury, said he accepted the cause of death had been hanging, some time between 8am-5pm on February 14.

He said he was also satisfied it had been a deliberate act and that Mr Davies had intended to cause his own death. A verdict of suicide was recorded.