A businessman whose annual Christmas lights display at his Staffordshire home raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity threw himself under a train following the break-up of his marriage, an inquest heard.

Paul Fletcher was hit by a train travelling at 90mph between Stafford and Wolverhampton on New Year’s Day this year.

Hours earlier the 45-year-old had called at the former marital home in Haughton, near Stafford, but during the visit his estranged wife rang police, alleging he had assaulted her.

Mr Fletcher, who ran Just Renaults in Midland Road, Pleck, Walsall, was not seen again until picked up by cameras at Tesco in Stafford at 8.38pm.

He was struck at around 10.10pm where the line passes under the A449 at Gravel Lane, Moss Pit.

The depressed father-of-three had threatened to kill himself on the railway line a number of times in the previous two months, the inquest at Cannock heard.

South Staffordshire Andrew Haigh returned a verdict of suicide.