A HEARTBROKEN wife today urged families hit by the credit crunch to seek help after her debt-hit husband hanged himself at their South Yorkshire home.
The Star reported on Friday that part-time postman Duncan Wilby had mortgage arrears and faced eviction from the family home in Wombwell, near Barnsley.
The 39-year-old had been in debt before and threatened with eviction, but his Lottery-winning
sister Dawn Hyde, who scooped £4.2m nine years ago, had helped him out.
An inquest in Sheffield was told Duncan was £1,500 in arrears on his £24,000 mortgage but wife Mandy had no idea about his financial problems.
He hanged himself from the roof of his garage on March 5 and died later in hospital.
Duncan had a letter in his pocket which he received in February demanding the outstanding cash and saying he would be evicted on March 6.
Mandy, 31, said today: "I believe Duncan thought he was coping but lost control when fuel and everything else rocketed. Things got too much.
"Plenty of other people out there must be in similar situations. I just hope they forget their pride and seek help before another tragedy like this happens." Sheffield assistant deputy coroner Donald Coutts-Wood recorded an open verdict at the inquest last week.
Debt advice groups today urged people not to worry in silence. Frances Walker, of the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, said: "Stories like this are very distressing.
"One thing that we can always sort out for people is debt."
READ MOREMain news indexMore Barnsley newsLettersCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport.The full article contains 294 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
