A WEBHEATH man stabbed himself in the stomach with a Swiss army knife because he had terminal cancer.

Worcestershire Coroner Victor Round told last week how Edwin Lewis, who was 75, stabbed himself in the abdomen on January 19 in an upstairs room of his home in Reyde Close.

The previous day, the former delivery driver and TV engineer had told Tardebigge vicar the Rev Frederick Hazel he was thinking of taking his own life, according to Mr Round.

The vicar had sought to reassure Mr Lewis and told him that the Lord would take him in his own time.

Mr Lewis' GP had informed him that he did not have long, said Mr Round.

On the day he died, Mr Lewis' wife Lynette Lewis called a neighbour to help before an ambulance arrived.

Mr Lewis was taken into the ambulance with the Swiss army knife still in his abdomen but was still alive at that point.

He also confirmed that he had stabbed himself and why he had done it. He died later at the Alexandra Hospital.

In summing up Mr Round said: "The possibility had crossed my mind that he was confused but I am now crystal clear about what he wanted to do.

"He took his own life. And of course, it was only a matter of weeks anyway and he was in pain."

Mr Lewis was later found to have tumours in his liver and bronchial pneumonia but a pathologist confirmed that the knife wound had killed him.