Sportsman David Mayland took his own life because of a breakdown in communication with the mental health authorities, his mother told an inquest yesterday.

Lisa Mayland said that she and her husband Michael would not have left David, 20, on his own in the family home at Coxhill Lane, Potterne, if they had been told he may have been suffering with a bi-polar disorder, also known as manic depression.

At the inquest in Trowbridge yesterday, she said consultant pathologist Dr Martin Elphick had “pooh-poohed” her suggestion that David was a manic depressive days before he died.

But Dr Elphick maintained that he had not ruled out the possibility of a bi-polar disorder during the meeting between himself, David and Mrs Mayland in January 2008.

Mrs Mayland told Wiltshire coroner David Ripley that David had been a happy child but things had started to go wrong when he was 14.

He became withdrawn and isolated, not helped by the dyslexia from which he suffered.

He found school work too difficult and declined into depression, exacerbated by the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat.

But he overcame his difficulties to become a keen sportsman, was outgoing, sociable and enjoyed many different activities.

But problems returned in 2006 when he became deeply depressed, split with his long-term girlfriend and left his job at Latchways.

On Boxing Day that year, he made two attempts on his life and told his mother: “You’ve got to get me somewhere or I’m going to do something awful.”

The community crisis team from Green Lane Hospital in Devizes thought David was suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and depression.

As there was no ADHD specialist on the Green Lane team, little was done to address his problems although he was given anti-depressants.

Finally, an appointment was made with consultant psychiatrist Dr Sharon Harvey, with whom David got on well, and Dr Elphick.

But Mrs Mayland said that communication with Green Lane staff was poor.

Nevertheless, David made great improvement and Mr and Mrs Mayland felt it was safe to go on a week’s holiday in February last year, leaving him at home.

But on February 19 site foreman Andy King from Gaigers Brothers builders, for whom David was working, could not contact him and went round to the house.

Standing on the grassy slope at the back of the house he could see David hanging in his bedroom.

Mr Ridley brought in a verdict that David had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

After the inquest Mrs Mayland said: “I don’t blame any particular person for David’s death, but it is the fault of the system.

“Had we been told that David could have been suffering from bi-polar disorder, there is no way we would have gone on holiday and left him.”