A MALVERN accountant's three young children arrived home from school to find her hanging from the staircase.

Virginia Croft, aged 35, hanged herself at home after writing a "dignified and affectionate" suicide note, said Worcestershire coroner Victor Round at an inquest yesterday.

Her husband, kitchen fitter Michael, said she was aware that they faced a "financial struggle" after borrowing money to spend on the house, but said her death was a total shock to him.

Mr Round said the grandmother of one of her children's classmates took the children home when Mrs Croft did not appear at Malvern's Grove Primary School at home time on Wednesday, July 3.

Joan Pitchford dropped them off at their home in Chester Place. They found the front door unlocked and made the grim discovery, said Mr Round at the inquest at County Hall.

"Mrs Pitchford asked how they got into the house, and they said they just pushed the door," said Mr Round.

He said the children came racing back down the drive after finding their mother hanging from a sheet tied to the staircase.

Mrs Croft took her children to school in the morning, and they said she had seemed all right at that time.

Police searched the house after the alarm was raised and found two notes, one which simply said "Sorry."

"She talked about 'managing and coping'," said Mr Round.

The post mortem revealed that Mrs Croft died from asphyxia due to hanging.

Mr Round recorded a verdict of suicide.