JUST days after celebrating at a friend's wedding Lawrence Cook was found dead aboard his canal boat by the bridegroom, an inquest heard.

Mr Cook, 53, lived alone on his canal boat and divided his time between Bradford on Avon and Bath.

He was found dead on October 1 last year by Steven Beckett, a fellow boatman who lived on another canal boat nearby.

Mr Cook was found slumped on the floor with a cord around his neck.

Mr Beckett had married his partner on September 29 and Mr Cook was a guest at the ceremony.

At an inquest at Trowbridge Town Hall on Monday, Wiltshire Coroner David Masters said: "There is little doubt that this was a deliberate act by Mr Cook to take his own life because he had wrapped the cord around his neck twice and hooked the end onto his bunk bed.

"That is the position he was found in the next morning by his friend Steven Beckett."

Mr Beckett gave evidence at the inquest and the coroner also heard from Mr Cook's estranged wife Susan Cook.

He was told that Mr Cook liked to drink heavily when socialising with friends.

A consultant pathologist at Salisbury District Hospital found the cause of death to be asphyxiation.

When he recorded his verdict the coroner said that Mr Cook set out to deliberately take his own life by hanging.

He said alcohol had been involved in his death.