Student's suicide over acne

A bright young student took his own life because of the severe acne he suffered from, an inquest has heard.

Marc Heap swallowed cyanide at a secluded riverbank near his home in Lower Darwen, Lancashire, in September last year.

The 18-year-old, who was due to go to university that week, even left a sign warning people not to try to resuscitate him because of the chemical hazard from the drugs he had taken.

He had posted a letter to police telling them where to find his body.

An inquest in Blackburn heard Marc left a letter for his mother, Janet Heap, saying he had been "in pain for years".

Grade A student

She said: "I know he was referring to his skin problems, that is the only reason he would have taken his life.

"It had made him a loner. He didn't have many friends, he just went to his grandma's."

Mrs Heap told the inquest that her son, who developed severe acne aged 14, had been called names including "pizza face" and "Kevin", after comedian Harry Enfield's spotty teenage character.

At the inquest, which took place on Tuesday, Carolyn Singleton, deputy coroner for Blackburn with Darwen, said his condition had "taken him to depths of anxiety that I cannot begin to imagine".

The grammar school pupil, who achieved three A-levels at grade A and one at grade B, was due to begin a degree course at St Andrews University just days after his death and his family said he was looking forward to going.