Northumberland county councillor Paul Scott "wasn't thinking clearly" in days leading up to his death, inquest is told

The comments were made during an inquest into the death of Coun Paul Scott, who had represented the Seghill and Seaton Delaval ward on Northumberland County Council.

Witnesses, including Coun Scott’s widow, paid tribute to the “respected” father-of-two. Mr Scott, 46, also worked in the office of Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy.

His wife Sally said: “Paul was a loving husband, father, brother and son and he will be sadly missed.”

Coun Eve Chicken worked closely alongside Coun Scott at a parish council level and succeeded him as county councillor for the Seghill ward. She said Coun Scott “loved his job” and had worked “so hard” to become a county councillor, adding it meant the world to him.’

However, the inquest also heard evidence that Coun Scott had suffered from depression for some time and had been prescribed medication to treat the condition. He had taken himself off the drugs on more than one occasion, but each time his depression returned.

The inquest heard that Coun Scott died on January 7 after being hit by a train. In December, he had began taking a higher dose of his anti-depressants than prescribed, which the inquest was told could have contributed to his thinking at the time of his death.

The coroner was told that in the days leading up to his death, Coun Scott was not himself and he “wasn’t thinking clearly”, and that should be taken into account.

Senior Coroner for Northumberland, Andrew Hetherington, recorded a narrative conclusion and said Mr Scott “died as a result of his own actions while suffering from depression and having chosen to resume taking his medication.”

Speaking after the inquest, Paul’s brother Jonathan said: “As a family we continue to miss Paul enormously and remain devastated by his passing. We are thankful for all the support we have received from friends and family over the past seven months. We are also grateful to those helping us to raise money for Mind, as our chosen charity, in honour of Paul. We would urge anyone suffering with mental health challenges to seek appropriate help in a timely manner.”

Coun Scott’s former employer Ian Levy MP also paid tribute to him following the announcement of the verdict. He said: “Maureen and I, and the team in my office remain profoundly sad and miss Paul. Our thoughts are with Paul’s wife, daughter and son and we hope that the conclusion of the inquest can bring some peace after this desperately sad period in their lives.

“Our loss is nothing compared to theirs, and they are forever in our thoughts. We will always remember Paul’s energy, drive and very mischievous sense of humour.

“He will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him. He was rightly proud of his role in local politics and he was driven by an intense desire to try to improve our local area for everyone. “

There are a number of services available for people suffering with depression, including the Samaritans. You can call them for free on 116 123 or email them at [email protected], or visit www.Samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.