A teenager with a history of depression was found hanged from a tree, an inquest heard.

The body of John Cairns, 19, of Wear Road, Bicester, was found in South Park, Oxford, by a man walking a dog at 5.40am on May 8 last year.

Oxford Coroner's Court yesterday (March 17) heard that Mr Cairns, an assistant stockroom manager, previously had been treated at a psychiatric unit.

Sally Oliver said she had been friends with Mr Cairns for about six months.

On May 7, he had sent her a text message which caused her to fear he might harm himself. Miss Oliver went to his mother's house, but he was not there.

Later, Mr Cairns rang Miss Oliver twice, but refused to say where he was.

A friend from school, Justin Bucknell, spoke to Mr Cairns on May 7, when he said he was going out with work friends.

Dr Nicholas Hunt, who carried out a post mortem, gave the cause of death as hanging.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said he was satisfied Mr Cairns had intended to take his own life.

He added: "John Cairns was a troubled young man. He had been to institutions designed to assist him.

"Perhaps they did to some extent, but quite clearly not enough."