London pensioner drives to Cheddar Gorge to commit suicide

The retired gardener drove to Cheddar Gorge to set fire to his car Credit: Ben Birchall/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Malcolm Burge, 66, killed himself at Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, after a change in housing benefits left him £800 in debt.

The retired gardener from London could not meet the demands that Newham Council demanded and became increasingly depressed.

He wrote to the council:

Newham Council sent a total of 10 payment reminders to him from June 2013 to May 2014.

The 66-year-old decided to drive to Cheddar Gorge, Somerset where he set his car on fire.

Teenagers helped tackle the flames but he later died in hospital from his injuries.