FOUR workers at the Royal Mail sorting office in Nelson were suspended amid allegations of harassment after a colleague plunged to his death from a multi-storey car park.

An inquest heard that an internal inquiry investigated whether Paul Dyson had been victimised because of rumours that he had exposed himself to children in an incident seven years earlier.

It also looked at claims that colleagues had taunted him about a national newspaper campaign to name and shame paedophiles.

Mr Dyson, 44, of Railway Street, Nelson, died after jumping from the multi-storey car park in Blackburn town centre.

He landed in Ainsworth Street outside the General Post Office and died immediately as a result of multiple injuries.

The Royal Mail launched an internal inquiry, headed by Gordon Robinson, delivery office manager of the Royal Mail in Burnley.

Mr Robinson said the Royal Mail had a very definite policy with regard to harassment at work and it was an issue that was taken very seriously.

He said four members of staff had been suspended prior to his investigation but none of them had been subject to any disciplinary hearings following the inquiry.

Mr Robinson said a number of issues came to light including the fact that Mr Dyson had been nicknamed "Flash."

He agreed with coroner Michael Singleton that one reason for this was that Mr Dyson was slow and methodical but that it was also connected with allegations that he had been involved in a flashing incident several years previously.

Mr Robinson said that comments regarding that incident centred on a christening which was attended by several members of the Nelson staff. The mother of one of them had commented about Mr Dyson's behaviour at his bedroom window which overlooked a playing field.

Mr Singleton asked whether mention had been more recently, specifically in relation to a News of the World campaign but Mr Robinson said he got the impression that most of the witnesses thought it had come to light after Mr Dyson's death.

Mr Robinson said there had been a lot of comments made to Mr Dyson in the days before his death because he had trodden in some dog dirt and walked into the office.

Mr Singleton asked whether the reference to the dog dirt was just an excuse to call Mr Dyson names in direct reference to the other allegations.

Mr Robinson said he could not find anything specific.

Robert Dyson, the dead man's father, described his son as a quiet men who was a diligent worker. He said he had suffered from a nasal problem since the age of 24 which caused him problems breathing. "He never said anything to me or his mother about any sort of harassment," said Mr Dyson. Recording a verdict that Mr Dyson killed himself, Mr Singleton said there had been a number of matters raised which Mr Robinson had concluded did not amount to harassment.

"It does leave me to question whether they might have any influence on Paul," said Mr Singleton. "It is a matter of some considerable concern to me that the campaign by the News of the World could possibly have been used to cause distress.

"It does seem that while reference to that could have been distressing to Paul I could not conclude that was wholly or extensively behind the action that he took," added Mr Singleton.

After the inquest a Royal Mail spokesman said: "We can't comment on individual cases or add to something that was said in court, but I can say that we always investigate allegations made against staff extremely seriously.

"We would fully investigate any such allegations and take whatever action that was deemed appropriate."