'Our son never meant to hurt anyone' - Dog and Partridge pub crash driver Craig Durham found hanged at his Farnworth barber shop Clyde's

The barber's body was found at Clyde's Gents Stylists – the hairdressing business he owned – in Higher Market Street, Farnworth, on Friday.

Now his devastated parents, Malcolm and Christine, of Kingsway, Kearsley, have told of their heartache and said their son was suffering from acute paranoia.

They say he was "absolutely terrified" of going to prison and "had never meant to hurt anybody".

Craig, aged 41, who lived in Kearsley and was known as "Clyde", was due to enter a plea at a Bolton Crown Court hearing on February 6 in relation to the Dog and Partridge crash.

Mr Durham said the last thing he said to his son the night before his death on Friday was "don't do anything silly, will you?", to which Craig said he would not.

The following day, he was discovered hanged by the owner of a nearby business at about noon.

Dozens of flowers have been left outside Clyde's by regular customers and friends.

Mr Durham, aged 66, said Craig was a "wonderful son" and despaired that he would never get the chance to say goodbye to him.

He said: "He was definitely ill. He had a breakdown. That side of the pub is just a big white wall.

"He had been driving around for a long time and he thought it was getting late and that he was running out of petrol.

"He thought that wall would kill him and that would be it. He did not intend to hurt anybody at all, only to take his own life. He was not of sound mind."

When Craig got out of the car, his father said he told bystanders how his family were dead, which prompted police to ring them to check their welfare.

Craig appeared before magistrates on October 31, and was granted conditional bail after Darin Millar, his defence solicitor, had told the court that the barber had been trying to kill himself by crashing into the pub and therefore posed no threat to the public.

Craig had been charged with criminal damage, dangerous driving and being reckless as to whether life was endangered

Mr Durham added: "He has been tormented and tormented ever since, waiting for the court case.

"He was absolutely terrified of going to jail. He was at Forest Bank for two days and he hated it."

Craig had been "troubled" since returning from a holiday in Jamaica, his parents said, and had consumed bleach in his salon just days before the Dog and Partridge crash.

He was taken to hospital but left A&E without being seen, as he was afraid of sitting alone in the waiting room.

Mr Durham said: "I never got the chance to say goodbye.

"I was talking to him on Thursday night, as I often did, to make sure he was in the right frame of mind before bed.

"He said he was going to bed and I said, 'you won't do anything silly, will you?'

"And he said, 'no Dad, I won't do anything silly'.

"He was a really, really good lad – when I was on nights, he would come over three times a week to keep his mum company.

"I am so proud of my son. You never want to outlive your children."

Mrs Durham, aged 65, said: "Craig was a wonderful, hard-working son, and cared for and helped so many people.

"He was the most lovely person and we miss him so much."

Craig's main passions in life were music and mountain biking, and the barber had been on several overseas bike trips, including to Brazil.

The former Kearsley West and George Tomlinson, now Kearsley Academy, pupil opened Clyde's eight-and-a-half years ago having worked in hairdressing for about 20 years ago.

Craig, who is also survived by sisters Julie and Kerry, had volunteered for Regain, a charity which supports people with sports injuries.

Sean O'Neill, who went to school with Craig, last saw his friend at Clyde's just before Christmas and said he seemed "down" then about the court case.

Mr O'Neill said: "I was at work on Friday and got a phone call at about 2pm.

"I'm absolutely devastated to say the least. I've known him since I was a kid."

Yesterday, Craig's parents received two letters from their solicitors — posted before his death — which were glowing character references from friends which were to be used in court.

Police have passed the case to the coroner, with post mortem tests on Craig's body due to be carried out in the next two to three days.

No funeral arrangements can be made until then.