A HAMPSHIRE teenager killed himself after getting into debt.

Tragic Andrew Green took a cocktail of powerful painkillers after running up debts of several hundred pounds on credit cards, catalogues and mobile phone bills, an inquest heard.

The 19-year-old, who had hoped to join the RAF, was found unconscious in his bed by his parents.

He had taken the overdose after returning to his Chandler's Ford home after a 13-hour shift at Eastleigh's Holiday Inn hotel.

Andrew's devastated parents discovered something was wrong after finding packets of empty prescription and over the counter drugs in the bin the following morning while making tea.

The inquest heard how they rushed to the teenager's bedside, where they found him alive but having difficulties breathing.

He was rushed to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, but doctors were unable to revive him and he died hours later on June 6.

The inquest in Winchester heard how Andrew had suffered minor depression last year after running up a credit card bill of £200 that spiralled to £600.

His father John Green, of Merrieleas Drive in Chandler's Ford told how his son's debts mounted because he had failed to keep up repayments.

He said the family had cleared the bill for him but Andrew had since got another credit card and also built up debts on catalogue shopping and a £300 mobile phone bill which he couldn't pay.

Sophie Baker, a fellow teenage worker at the Holiday Inn, dropped Andrew off home after work at 3am on June 6.

She said: "On the way home we were both moaning about money, but then all teenagers do."

Central Hampshire Coroner Grahame Short said recording an open verdict was his only option as he could not be 100 per cent certain Andrew had meant to take his life when he swallowed the tablets.

He also could not record the death as accidental because of the quantity of tablets taken.

Speaking to the Green family, Mr Short said: "Although the level of drugs he took was fatal, it wasn't a very large quantity and I think that in the absence of any other explanation, I can't be sure he knew the consequences of what he was doing."

The Citizens Advice Bureau offers free professional advice and help to people with debt problems and is advising anyone who is worried to get in touch.

A spokesman for the bureau said: "We do have a lot of young people coming to us with problems with debt, but it's also very much a general problem for all ages.

"Our advice would be for anyone concerned about debt to get in touch with agencies such as ourselves."