SENIOR member of the far-right National Front party accidentally killed himself while carrying out a bizarre sex act.

Kristian Etchells, 29, was found dead in a store cupboard at his Oldham flat with a black kettle-flex around his neck and with a picture of a schoolgirl on the floor, an inquest was told.

Pc Robert Fitzgerald from Oldham Police told the inquest at the town's magistrates' court: "In my opinion it was not an attempt to take his own life."

He said he believed Etchells died while enjoying some sort of sexual gratification. The flex looked like it had been tied to a door handle, he said.

Etchells, of Dale House in High Street, Shaw, polled just 62 votes when he stood for the National Front in the Lees area of Oldham in the May 2003 local elections.

Later the same year he was sentenced to a 12 month community rehabilitation order after threatening an Asian taxi driver with a hunting knife.

He was also jailed for a short period last year after throwing eggs and shouting racist taunts after an anti-Nazi march in Burnley. His political views and his criminal convictions were not mentioned in court.

The inquest in Oldham was told he had left school at 16 and had trained as a tattooist in Manchester.

His father, Richard Etchells, told the court his interests included body art, music and using a computer. In the past two years he had been seeing a doctor for depression, but Mr Etchells said he believed this might have been a means for claiming unemployment benefit. He had never tried to harm himself and had never spoken about killing himself, Mr Etchells said.

Police were called to the 29-year-old's block of flats on August 19 last year. Etchells's body was found in a store cupboard down a corridor. A Home Office pathologist said in a statement he believed the cause of death was asphyxia. There were ligature marks on his neck.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of misadventure. He said: "I'm satisfied that he did not intend to kill himself. The more probable explanation is that he decided deliberately to place himself in a situation where he might achieve some form of sexual gratification, which resulted in an unexpected death."

He added: "It was an act committed in the confines of his home and as such was a matter for the individual. However, it would be inappropriate if I did not raise the issue of the dangers of such an act. There are risks when these actions are taken by members of society."