The bizarre suicide of a well-loved man has baffled his friends and family, who knew him for his great sense of humour.

Timothy Sandy, 38, was found at his flat in Queens Road, Wimbledon after friends at his local pub reported him missing on Friday, April 15.

Police had to break into his bathroom, where they found him wrapped in duvets on the floor, and bags of burnt charcoal in the bath.

Last Thursday, Westminster Coroner's Court heard that CID were alerted when police officers first discovered the body in the bathroom.

But it became clear Mr Sandy had probably killed himself by inducing carbon monoxide poisoning.

PC James Burgess said: "The whole bathroom was sealed from external sources of oxygen and in there was this barbecue, which clearly had been going for some time."

Officers also found a notebook, which contained a farewell message and poems.

Mr Sandy's brother, Mark, told the court that his brother had been very popular.

He was keen on sports, and had many friends because of his great sense of humour.

The court heard that he was keen on using the internet and had a group of online friends that he called the Bad Poets Group.

The coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, decided to record a verdict of suicide.

Summing up, he said: "Quite clearly he had intended these events.

"At the scene was a notebook which makes perfectly clear what his intention was."

In recent years, burning charcoal in a confined space has become a common way to commit suicide in Asia.