A FLINTSHIRE man took his own life after a long-standing battle with mental illness, an inquest heard.

Paul Lee Price, 33, was found dead at his home address on Bryn Awelon in Buckley on May 20, 2020.

On Tuesday (November 17) at County Hall in Ruthin, an inquest hearing was held into Mr Price's death.

It heard that Mr Price had suffered with severe mental health issues since about 2011, which had led to an addiction of self-harming.

The inquest heard that Mr Price suffered from bouts of paranoia, and was particularity prone to self-harming when under the influence of alcohol.

He had also become addicted to prescription amphetamines.

Mr Price had been detained by police under the Mental Health Act and had spent time in the Heddfan Psychiatric Unit of Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

On May 20, Mr Price's mother went to check on him at his home address, where she found his body.

Paramedics attended but despite all care and efforts Mr Price was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination into his death found no evidence of drugs or alcohol in his system, with the pathologist's provisional cause of death registered as hanging.

The inquest heard that in the months before his death, Mr Price had made a concerted effort to lift his mood and stay clean of alcohol and drug use.

His mother told the court that the last few months of his life were the "best times we ever spent together", and that she "thought he was turning his life around".

But she admitted that Mr Price had raised concerns and fear about the prospect of "going back down the road of alcohol and drugs".

David Pojur, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of suicide caused by hanging.

Anyone at risk of self-harm can contact Samaritans' 24/7 helpline on 116 123.