ALTON company director Julian Zambra was found dead in his camper van in the garden of his home at Chawton Park Road, only hours after he had spent a happy weekend with his family, Basingstoke Coroners’ Court has heard.

Pc Pete Rees, of Alton Police, said he was called to the house after Mr Zambra’s wife, Jan, had found her husband in the camper van. A hose had been put through one of the windows through which carbon monoxide fumes were being pumped into the vehicle.

He turned Mr Zambra’s body on its side but found no sign of injury.

Pc Rees told the court: “He was wearing pyjamas, a T-shirt and slippers and I concluded it was not a suspicious death.

“I told Mrs Zambra an ambulance had been called and also arrangements made to pick her son up from the railway station.”

Coroner Andrew Bradley said there had been some family issues and that evening Mr Zambra, 58, who was a joint director with David Miller in a web design company, had agreed to see his doctor.

Two days earlier, the family issues had been written down.

“So, from a happy family life to total devastation, but it is quite clear he had financial difficulties which he had not disclosed to his wife,” said Mr Bradley.

“After a happy weekend with the family, on March 5 he died in the night from gas from the camper van which is rare because carbon monoxide is no longer used in this way, but he had been researching this since December.

“I am satisfied that the deceased, who was suffering from anxiety, took his own life by carbon monoxide poisoning and I express my sympathy to his family.”