A RETIRED teacher committed suicide after a police paedophile investigation unit turned up at his Bicester house with a search warrant, an inquest found.

Michael Lafford, 67, took an overdose of medication when Thames Valley Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team  (POLIT) attempted to search his house in November last year.

DS Paula Morgan, in charge of the unit, said they were working with intelligence that the former Ofsted inspector possessed indecent images of children.

An inquest heard that as officers knocked on his front door and identified themselves, other officers at the rear of the property saw Mr Lafford swallowing pills.

The team entered the property and called for an ambulance which arrived at 7.20am on November 18 last year.

Mr Lafford's death was confirmed at 8.50am at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.