It has emerged that a couple found dead as their two sons played nearby had been plagued with debt management problems after losing their home and jobs.

Barry Harrison and wife Amanda were found dead at their flat in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, whilst their two boys (aged just five and three) played in the hallway.

They met at the Peugeot plant in Ryton, near Coventry, which was closed When the credit crunch struck in 2007 with the loss of 2,300 jobs.

After losing both of their jobs at the recession-hit plant, Mr Harrison became depressed and the couple then lost their £100,000 property – which put a huge strain on their marriage.

It is thought Mr Harrison had spent his redundancy money and run up debts of £75,000 renovating the house, but it was eventually only sold for £60,000.

The couple’s children were playing in the hallway of their home when Pat Cannon, the manager for the block of flats and family friend, found their father hanging from a noose in the loft.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Ms Cannon said: “I went round because I knew they were going through a rough patch with their marriage. I wanted to make sure they were all right.

“I knocked on their door and the elder boy opened it. Everything seemed normal. The boys were playing in the hallway.

“He said, “Hello, Pat”. I said, “Where are mummy and daddy?” They said, “Mummy and daddy are asleep”. I could see the loft hatch open and some cord. I pushed the door to the room and it felt like a dead weight.”

It’s believed that Amanda had been strangled by her husband, before he hanged himself. Police said the children were unharmed and were now being cared for by a family friend.

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