North Wales Police were not at fault in the death of a key witness who hanged himself during a gangster's trial, an inquest has found.

Gary Haywood, 39, was put on a witness protection scheme by police to give evidence against John Gizzi.

Mr Haywood, from Greater Manchester, hanged himself at a Luton hospital days before he was due to give evidence.

Bedfordshire coroner David Morris recorded a suicide verdict on Tuesday, adding that police were not to blame.

He said: "I do not find any evidence to support a breach of a duty of care.

"Neither is there any evidence of a systematic failure on the part of North Wales Police or other public agency."

The inquest heard how Mr Haywood regularly smoked cannabis, which could have affected his state of mind.

The coroner added: "As I see it, it is beyond all reasonable doubt that he took his own life."

Mr Haywood had been due to -*test*-('")ify against Gizzi on 8 September 2003.

Gizzi, who claimed to "run" the Denbighshire town of Rhyl, was jailed for five-and-a-half years in January for two counts of grievous bodily harm, one of actual bodily harm and one charge of supplying counterfeit cigarettes.

In August 2002, Mr Haywood was placed on a witness protection scheme after being driven over by a car in Rhyl.

In September 2003, police travelled from north Wales to London to collect My Haywood in time for the Chester trial.

But he told police things were "too much" for him, signed a retraction statement and pulled out of witness protection.

The following day Mr Haywood was found in a garden in Dunstable, Luton, suffering from deep cuts to his wrists, and an ambulance was called.

Paramedic David Dixon told the hearing: "The man told me he was from Manchester.

"He said he was in a witness protection scheme. He admitted causing the injuries with barbed wire. He was a bit agitated. He was distracted as if something was on his mind."

Mr Haywood was taken to Luton and Dunstable Hospital but disappeared 10 minutes after being seen by a nurse.

He was found the next day having used electrical wire to hang himself from the roof of a maintenance corridor.

Pathologist Dr Nat Carey gave the cause of death as hanging and said there was no evidence of any other person being involved.