A WREXHAM man barricaded himself into his home before triggering a blaze in which he died, an inquest heard.

Clive Brynmor Dykes, 53, was found at his home in Garner Road, Caia Park on July 11, after a fire which he started using the contents of a deep fat fryer as an accelerant to burn clothing in a cupboard.

Police who attended found that Mr Dykes’ door was locked and a brush had been propped up against it to prevent entry. Mr Dykes was found face down in the bathroom with a cut to his wrist.

A report from Paul Scott, a community safety manager with North Wales Fire and Rescue, read out to the Wrexham hearing told how fire officers needed to force entry to the property and although CPR was administered, Mr Dykes was pronounced dead. Mr Scott said it was his view that it was a deliberate ignition with the source of the fire being the contents of a cupboard. The fryer was found on the floor of a bedroom.

The inquest heard that Mr Dykes suffered from mental health issues. Community psychiatric nurse David Marks said that he had attended Ty Derbyn where he received help from the Community Mental Health Team.

He was visited by police in August of last year as they were concerned he was sleeping on the street. Later in the year he had moved to an “adapted shed” at his sister’s house and while his mood was reported to be low medics said he did not have any suicidal thoughts.

In June of this year he was visited again by police after he tried to take his life with an overdose of tablets.

His sister Marlene Maddock said that her brother had helped out at her birthday barbecue in June and appeared sociable. Her husband gave him a lift to the council offices days before he died and he was well turned out and seemed fine.

She said in a statement: “I never thought Clive would do something like that. We’ll never understand whether it was a cry for help - our feeling is that had he got help sooner then this would not have happened.”

The hearing was told the cause of death was smoke inhalation.

John Gittins, coroner for North Wales (East and Central) recorded an open verdict. He said: “There is evidence of self-harm and the fact he barricade himself into his property but there is also evidence that he was in reasonable good spirits.”