A property developer was found unresponsive on his bed after his worried family called 999 because they had not been able to reach him, an inquest heard this week.

Police forced entry into the home of Nikesh Radia, 47, in Copper Ridge in Chalfont St Peter on November 26 last year and started CPR when they found him but he was tragically pronounced dead at 11.41am by paramedics.

Mr Radia’s worried family had called the emergency services when they could not reach him – but his car was parked outside his home and his phone could be heard ringing inside.

A post-mortem found he had died as a result of nitrite toxicity.

He had left a note in his house and had visited an online forum which assistant coroner for Buckinghamshire Gemma Brannigan said made it clear he was “contemplating suicide”.

Mr Radia’s GP at The Hall Practice Dr Katherine Yeomans said he had been a registered patient since 2006. According to his records, he had taken an overdose in 1987 and had reported suffering “several years” of low mood in 2008, for which he was recommended psychotherapy.

At an inquest into his death on Tuesday, a statement from Thames Valley Police officer Christopher Johnson heard how he attended Copper Ridge with a colleague and attempted to break the door down to get inside after family members raised the alarm.

Once inside, he found Mr Radia unconscious on his bed.

PC Johnson said: “CPR was attempted and ambulance crews attended. He was pronounced dead at 11.41pm.”

Mr Radia’s brother Dev said in a statement that their relationship had not been “great” since their father passed away around five years ago and he had not seen his sibling since June 2020.

His ex-partner also explained how he was having “difficulties with his family” and was feeling “quite low”.

On November 24, just days before his death, he had told her he had gone out to meet a friend but had actually gone to have a will drawn up.

Assistant coroner Ms Brannigan ruled that Mr Radia’s death was suicide. She said: “He was low in mood before his death and he had a will drawn up just a couple of days before. I am satisfied he did the act that ended his life and from the letters he left, I am satisfied he intended to die.”

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit a local Samaritans branch. See samaritans.org for more details.