AN elderly Broadway farmer blasted his wife with a shotgun before turning the weapon on himself after becoming depressed during the sale of his smallholding, an inquest was told.

Fred Jobson, aged 75, was also worried about his health in the weeks before he killed his 74-year-old wife Nancy and shot himself at their farmhouse, Worcestershire Coroner's Court was told.

The couple, who had lived at Brooklea Farm, near Broadway, for 47 years, died last year. They had both suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest and their bodies were found between the side of the house and a fuel bunker.

Giving evidence from the witness box, the couple's daughters, Janette Rowlatt and Pamela Jarvie, both told the hearing on Friday how their father had spoken of ending his life with a gun.

Mrs Jarvie told the inquest at Stourport: "Daddy became increasingly fed up and he wanted to move."

The inquest heard that the tragedy happened shortly before Mr and Mrs Jobson were due to move to a bungalow because Mr Jobson found it difficult to maintain the farmhouse to his high standards.

Mrs Rowlatt said: "My father found it very difficult growing old and as he got older he found it more difficult to keep the property in a condition to which he was accustomed. The house was very modest, but the grounds and gardens were his pride and joy."

A statement from Mr Jobson's GP revealed he had been prescribed anti-depressants, although he had had stopped taking them at the time of his death. The farmer was also convinced, wrongly, that he had a heart condition.

The assistant deputy coroner for Worcestershire, Nigel Garbutt, said he was satisfied from the evidence that Mr Jobson had unlawfully killed his wife and taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.