Haydon Croucher's mum was "knocking doors down"

trying to get mental health services in Milton Keynes to help him

The family of Haydon Croucher had desperately tried to get help from the city's mental health services because he was so "tortured" over not knowing what has happened to his missing sister Leah, it has been revealed.

Haydon finally received treatment from a mental health unit but was discharged on November 13.

The following day, just before the nine month anniversary of Leah's disappearance, his mum and sister found him hanged at his Newton Leys flat.

They had gone to the flat because they were concerned about his welfare, an inquest opening heard on Friday.

Haydon and Leah were very close.

Haydon, 24, was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness. His family had to make the agonising decision to turn off his life support machine two days later.

He inquest heard he died of multiple organ failure.

Haydon's mother Tracey Furness, father John Croucher, sister Jade, Haydon's step-mother Claire Croucher and step-father David Furness all sat in a line and joined hands in the inquest room as a show of togetherness and compassion.

Tracey Furness said outside the hearing that Haydon had been"tortured" by not knowing what had happened to Leah, and the long and fruitless search to find her had taken a toll on his mental health.

Haydon's family held his hand until the end

She said: "His sister was something he, of course, was struggling with, it affected his mental health because of the torture he went through. He wanted answers. The day before was the anniversary of Leah being missing for nine months. It was the straw that broke the camel's back."

While at the hospital, Haydon's family was given several copies of his handprint in blue ink, and these are expected to feature at his funeral.

Tracey said: "We were all holding our hands as we were given Hayden’s last hand print for the funeral. What we have promised as a family is that we are always going to hold each other’s hands, we will go through this together."

She said she had been "knocking doors down" to get help for Haydon from mental health services.

Leah has been missing for nine months

"They knew it was the nine month anniversary of Leah being missing. From the knowledge I have, he was discharged from their services. It will not bring him back but something has to change. He was under mental health services. I was knocking the doors down to get support for my son."

Tracey added: "We are trying to be proactive in our grief. Jade set up a Just Giving page working to prevent young suicide. We are trying to raise awareness, I do not want another family to go through this. I do not want to share my grief but I want Haydon to be remembered for him, I want something good to come out of this."

The Justgiving page is raising funds for Papyrus, a charity that strives to prevent young suicide and runs a specialist helpline.

It states: "Suicide is a preventable death, people need to be aware of that. We need to break the taboo."

"On Thursday November 14, our son and brother felt so alone, so lost, so broken that he felt he had no other choice other than to take his own life. Haydon was so consumed with pain and anguish and despite the love around him it wasn’t enough. His mother's love and that of his entire family was not enough.

"Finding your son and own brothers lifeless body, both trying in vain to breath air into him. Hearing your own screams between each compression on his chest, begging for him to come back to us and telling him how loved he is.

"An image of his beautiful lifeless face forever imprinted in our minds. Haydon may now have found his peace, but for our families we will never be the same."

Within days the page has raised more than £1,800. You can donate here.

Haydon never gave up hope of finding Leah, who vanished while walking from her Emerson Valley home to work on February 15, the day after Valentine's Day.

If you have any information about what has happened to her, call police on 101 or Crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111.

Former volunteer Sgt. Dwayne Hards was helping to find Leah Croucher but there was no hope.