A WIRRAL man who died after being hit by a train near a railway crossing in Meols intended to take his own life, an inquest has heard.

Mark Best, 58, from Meols, was pronounced dead at the scene at the Tolands crossing between Meols and Manor Road stations on May 28.

British Transport Police were called to the crossing after reports a man had been struck by a train at around 9.30pm.

An inquest into his death, held at the Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool today, heard how Mr Best had been taking antidepressants for a number of years.

Coroner Andre Rebello told the hearing how there had been a number of incidents when Mr Best had overdosed on his medication, the first in 1989 shortly after he was "deeply troubled" by what he saw happen at the Hillsborough stadium disaster.

A statement from the train's driver was read to the court, detailing how he had left Meols station shortly before 9.30pm.

The inquest heard that as he approached the Tolands crossing – travelling at around 60mph – he saw what he believed was a fox or pheasant close to the ground.

But as he neared the crossing, he saw who he later learned was Mr Best lying on the tracks between 50 and 75 yards away.

The driver – who has worked for Merseyrail for 13 years – applied the emergency brake and sounded the warning horn but Mr Best did not move.

In his statement, the train driver said he believed there was time for Mr Best to get up if he wanted to between the horn sounding and the impact occurring.

The driver said: "He looked to me like he had intentionally put himself there. There was no one else track side."

Mr Best suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Rebello told family members present in court that Mr Best’s death would have been instant and he would not have suffered any pain.

He said he was satisfied that Mr Best had taken his own life.

"I can't think of any other reasonable possibility in him being in that position other than him intending that in that moment.

"People change their minds, people have thoughts but sometimes you can’t change your mind because events over take you but I’m satisfied that he would not have put himself in that position without those intentions of ending his life."

Mr Rebello offered his condolences to Mr Best's family and added: "We have to bear in mind that Mark’s death was only an instant.

"Mark had had nearly 60 years of life and that instant should never remove one moment from his life.”

"His life is the love he gave, the love he received, his relationships, who is in photographs, who is in videos and the person people knew.

"It is only right to grieve but it’s even more right to celebrate and to share your happy loving memories.

"These memories and anecdotes and stories about Mark will reinforce Mark’s life for everyone that loved him."