MYSTERY surrounds the suicide of a man who friends say always showed the world a happy face.

Warehouseman Andrew Tromans, 28, who lived in Grosvenor Road, Billingham, had a steady job, money in the bank, friends he socialised with and never visited a doctor.

Yet on March 13, this year he was found hanging from a tree in a 155-acre country park, at Billingham.

Deputy Assistant Teesside Coroner Tony Eastwood told a Middlesbrough inquest: "He seemed to have a contented life. He enjoyed holidays, he enjoyed the company of his friends."

He said a handwritten note had been found, while Andrew had used a sophisticated knot to tie the noose, indicating the young man intended to kill himself - the verdict of the inquest.

But Mr Eastwood said: "Although it remains a mystery as to what motivation there maybe, I am satisfied this was a deliberate act."