76273-21THE mother of an unemployed man who killed himself says he should have been shown more sympathy by Jobcentre staff. Mark King took his own life by lying in the path of a train after becoming depressed.

The 42-year-old, of Dogridge in Purton, had been unemployed for 16 months when he decided to end his life at the Collins Lane Level Crossing in Purton.

After the hearing, his mother Pauline Staley told the Adver the Jobcentre, which stopped his benefit payments, had been heartless.

Mr King, a keen fisherman who never married and had no children, had become increasingly depressed about his situation and was terrified of losing his home.

He had previously worked for British Rail as a storekeeper in Swindon and was employed as a packer in December 2002.

Mrs Staley, 68, a carer from Dogridge who has three other grown-up sons, said: "He was so worried about money and losing his flat."

Matters came to a head when Mr King's Job Seeker's Allowance was stopped from March 20 to March 26 then again from March 27 to April 2 after it was claimed he disobeyed Jobcentre rules by not applying for two jobs suggested to him.

An independent adjudicator in Bournemouth decided to penalise him after his case was referred by Jobcentre Plus in Swindon.

Mr King claimed he was not confident enough for one of the jobs driving a catering van and that he had phoned up for an application for the second job as a delivery driver but had not heard back.

Wiltshire's assistant deputy coroner, Nigel Brookes, said: "He was offered two vacancies which on the face of it appear to be unsuitable yet he was penalised. This is a harsh penalty."

Nigel Tucker, senior operations manager of Jobcentre Plus in Swindon, told the hearing: "These decisions do not seem out of line with decisions that are made by the Bournemouth office on large numbers of our customers."

Mr King's Job Seeker's Allowance was due to resume on April 3 but it was not until April 26 that a cheque was sent out to him two days after his death.

Mrs Staley said: "If he had had that first dole cheque on time my son might be alive today."

But despite the fact that he had admitted contemplating suicide three days earlier, Mrs Staley was shocked by her son's death.

A month earlier, Mrs Staley received a Mother's Day card from her son, which read: "Dear Mum, thank you for all the years of love, patience and understanding. I hope you'll last forever more because you're my mum, love Mark."

Train driver Christopher Naylor, of Wessex Trains, described the moment Mr King stepped in front of his train at 2.45pm on April 24 last year.

"As I was about ten yards away this man casually stepped out in my path and knelt down then lay down on the tracks. He walked out deliberately and steadily."

A jury returned a verdict that Mr King had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

After the inquest, Mrs Staley said: "I think they (the Jobcentre) have been heartless. There was not much sympathy shown."

Diana Milne