A father whose 20-year-old son hanged himself told the Oxford Mail last night he could not understand why he took his own life.

He compared the tragedy to the deaths of young people in Bridgend, Wales, where today the body of another teenager was discovered.

Abingdon College student Daniel Clotworthy, from Kingston Warren, near Wantage, was found dead by his father Brian on September 6.

At an inquest in Oxford yesterday, county coroner Nicholas Gardiner was told by Brian Clotworthy, 53, that he found his son dead and a suicide note on his bed after checking on him shortly before 7am, because he had not got up for work at WH Smith in Wantage.

Mr Gardiner asked: "Had you any idea your son was thinking about doing something like this?"

Mr Clotworthy replied: "Not at all."

Dc Julia Tuhill said in a statement: "Nothing made me believe it was anything other than suicide."

Mr Clotworthy, who works for Oxfordshire racehorse owner Henry Candy, said his son was doing well at work and had not suggested he was unhappy.

Mr Gardiner recorded a verdict that Daniel took his own life.

After the hearing, Mr Clotworthy said: "The thing that will never be answered is why? It was totally out of the blue. It's just unbelievable how so many young people can kill themselves. It's just so tragic. It just seems teenagers these days don't think life's worth living or something."

Since January 2007 there have been 17 apparent suicides in Bridgend.