Eastgate House, Thorpe Road, where the coroner's court is situated in the ground floor. Picture: Denise Bradley

A Wymondham College schoolboy who killed himself at a family get-together in France was described as a “very thoughtful and decent young man”, at an inquest today.

John Roberts-Aikens, 17, from Tharston, near Long Stratton, died on August 6 last year at Sarrians in France.

The Norwich inquest heard that the teenager, who had been troubled by the death of his mother several years earlier, had been seeing a psychologist, but his condition had improved, and he had stopped seeing him in April last year.

The teenager was described in a report by psychologist, Dr Russell Wharton, which was read to the court, as a “very thoughtful and decent young man”, who was motivated to work out his problems.

The teenager’s uncle, Tom Aikens, who was part of the family gathering in France, said he found John’s body on the morning of August 6, in the stairwell of the property they were staying in.

He said that on the previous day, John and his sister Lulu had been playing in the pool and he had been in a very chatty, happy mood. John’s father Mark Aikens told the inquest that no-one in the family knew the extent of John’s mental health problems.

Kevin Aikens, John’s grandfather, who travelled with him to France, said he had been acting normally and they had all been to a christening ceremony.

The cause of death was given as hanging and assistant deputy coroner for Norfolk, David Osborne recorded a verdict that John killed himself.

As reported, since John’s death, his sister Lulu has raised about £2,000 for the Norwich-based charity, Nelson’s Journey, which supports bereaved children and their families.

david.bale2@archant.co.uk