Couple who sent suicide letter to BBC killed themselves

Dennis and Flora Milner said they wanted to decide when to die The Milners' suicide letter

An elderly couple who sent a letter to the BBC criticising UK laws on assisted suicide killed themselves, a coroner has recorded.

Dennis and Flora Milner, aged 83 and 81, were found dead in their home in Newbury, Berkshire, in November.

A letter and statement saying they had "chosen to peacefully end our lives" arrived at BBC South shortly after.

The inquest heard how they had spent a long time planning their deaths because they wanted to see a change in the law.

Their letter to the BBC said they had wanted to highlight the "human dilemma" stopping people legally ending their lives with their family and loved ones around them.

At Newbury Coroner's Court, the couple's son, Nigel, confirmed his parents had held very strong views on assisted suicide laws.

The inquest heard how the couple had no significant medical issues, although Mrs Milner had failing eyesight and both had hip problems.

'Living death'

But the pair did not want to reach a stage where they felt their quality of life would be diminished.

Nigel Milner and the couple's daughter, Chrissy, said at the time of their parents' deaths that they endorsed their actions.

The letter from Dennis and Flora Milner, delivered to BBC South two days after they were found dead, was accompanied by a statement that appeared to be signed by the couple.

In it Mr Milner talked about his campaign to change the law to give people the right to choose how and when to end their lives.

He described how to continue with life would be a "living death", adding that arranging their deaths so they did not fail had been "very difficult and traumatic for us".

"This need not and should not be the case," he wrote.

At the time of their deaths, the ProLife Alliance blamed what they said were the couple's unfounded fears about old age.

But pro-euthanasia group Dignity in Dying said the case highlighted some people's deep concerns about suffering unnecessarily at the end of their lives, and the lack of a safeguarded choice.