A MAN whose dead body was recovered from the River Nene in Wisbech six days after he jumped in committed suicide because a bladder condition was making his life a misery, an inquest heard.

By ADAM LAZZARI

A MAN whose dead body was recovered from the River Nene in Wisbech six days after he jumped in committed suicide because a bladder condition was making his life a misery.

North and East Cambridgeshire coroner William Morris returned a verdict of suicide at the inquest of John Seymour, 73, from St Michael's Avenue, Wisbech today.

Mr Morris declared the cause of death was drowning.

Fenland Coroner's Court in Wisbech heard that Mr Seymour had been extremely distressed in the days leading up to his death.

His widow Dorothy Seymour told the court that her husband needed to use the toilet every 10 to 15 minutes.

She said: "He was awaiting an operation. He was not eating or sleeping properly and he had lost a lot of weight. This was very stressful for him.

"He would regularly walk to the shop but often had to return home to use the toilet before he got there. He always liked to stop and talk to people but he couldn't do this because of his condition and that got him down."

Mr Seymour went missing on September 21.

Mrs Seymour explained that he had hardly slept the night before and planned to visit his local GP to get some medication.

She said he left the house at around 7.30am to get his car from the garage, which was a 10 minute walk from the house, and she was expecting him to return to pick her and collect some paper work.

He never returned so she called the police at about 10.15am.

Nicholas Meekins told the court that he saw Mr Seymour lying in the River Nene at around 8am.

Mr Meekins was driving towards Wisbech Town Bridge in the direction of Guyhirn.

He said: "I saw a man standing by the parapet. He was hunched over looking at the water. He looked unhappy."

Mr Meekins said he saw the man climb over the parapet, so he stopped outside the White Lion Hotel and got out of his car.

He then saw the man lying in a vertical position in the water with his arms by his side and his head under the water, making no attempt to struggle.

The body moved with the current towards Peterborough and Mr Meekins called 999.

Spartan Rescue Ltd recovered the body from the water, close to Wisbech Police Station on September 27.

Mr Seymour's GP and widow both stated that Mr Seymour had no history of depression.

This is contradicted but the post mortem report but Mr Morris discarded this.

Mr Morris said: "Mr Seymour was not seen entering the water but he was seen in the moments leading up to this point and there appears to have been nobody else involved.

"Mr Seymour must have known that his actions would have lead to his death.