A TEACHER threw himself to his death off the top of a town centre car park, an inquest was told.

Keith Ingham was transformed into a frightened wreck by a drug-user and her boyfriend, who moved into his home and bled his bank account.

Mr Ingham, 52, became besotted by the younger woman after they met last September and changed from being a steady and dependable geography teacher at Primet High School, Colne, into a man who paid her £150 a time for sex and drove the couple around as they completed drug deals.

Police told the hearing that although they knew the names of the woman and her boyfriend they were not revealing them because the couple were the subject of a major police investigation surrounding Mr Ingham's death. East Lancashire Coroner David Smith, was told that the stress of leading an impossible life led to bachelor Mr Ingham throwing himself to his death from the top floor of the multi-storey car stack at Nelson bus station, shortly after 7am on Friday, June 23.

Det Sgt David Fleming told the coroner that police were satisfied no-one else was involved in the incident.

But he told how Mr Ingham's behaviour and personality changed after he became besotted by the woman, who moved into his home at Ridgeway, Nelson, three weeks after they first met.

Det Sgt Fleming said the woman, who had numerous convictions for dishonesty and was an habitual drug user, began to use sex as a bargaining tool and Mr Ingham would have to pay her large sums of money for sex.

After she brought in her boyfriend, described by Det Sgt Fleming as a very violent, frightening individual, Mr Ingham was forced to sleep on a settee in the lounge.

Recording a verdict that Mr Ingham killed himself while depressed Mr Smith said it was a tragic story.

Mr Ingham was very highly thought-of at Primet High School, where he had taught for 25 years and that made it so much more tragic.