THE wife of an expert surgeon who killed himself paid an emotional tribute to him during the inquest into his death today.

Alexander Reading, aged 45, was found hanging in the garage of his home in Grafton Flyford on June 15 leaving his family and the medical community reeling.

Coroner Geraint Williams recorded the verdict of suicide at Worcestershire Coroners Court, saying Mr Reading intended to take his own life.

During the hearing Sarah Reading, Mr Reading’s wife, said: “Alexander was a caring, compassionate and hard working person who wanted the best for his family, friends, the hospital and his patients.

“It is such a tragedy that a life has been lost of somebody that was so caring. I would never want this to happen to anyone else. What myself, my boys and friends are going through.”

Mr Reading, a consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, worked at the Spire South Bank Hospital in Bath Road, Worcester, the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and at the joint clinic in Droitwich.

Mrs Reading criticised reports that appeared in national newspapers suggesting her husband was unable to live with himself following an alleged mistake during surgery.

She said: “I do obviously have one question and that is there was a reliable hospital source that came out in the papers that Alexander could not bear to live with himself.

“It was so minor that Alex never mentioned it to me and as you know from my statement he mentioned everything to me. I do have that as a big issue.”

Mr Williams responded saying this question should be directed to the trust. He said: “It may be that you never get to the bottom of that. Having looked at all the paper work about that incident as well, for him all that was was a mere nothing.”

Mr Reading’s mother also said during the hearing: “He must have been at the end to do what he did. He would have never of done that. He was a very open person. He must have been desperate.”

Mr Williams called Mr Reading a extraordinarily talented and a dedicated family man who not only cared for not only his family but also for his patients, colleagues and the trust.

He added this was the measure of any man.

He said: “It is clear to me from what you have said what the difficulties were. The pressure on a man in his position can not be measured. Work certainly caused your husband a great deal of anxiety.

“It is clear work pressures cumulatively all had an impact. All lead to what happened on that last day.”

Mr Williams said Dr Paul Dunn, who conducted the autopsy, confirmed he could find no pre-existing medical diseases or medical emergency that could have caused or contributed to the death and there was no alcohol or drugs in his body.