London, Nov 14 (IANS): A British teenager who dyed his hair brown to stop bullies attacking him for being ginger-haired was found hanging by his father, an inquest has heard.

Simon Walters, 14, who was a pupil at a school in Wolverhampton city, West Midlands, was found dead in his bedroom by his father Nigel Walters, with whom he lived, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

The father, a warehouse worker, last saw his son alive before leaving for work at 8 p.m., and said he would always text him during a shift to say he loved him - but on that night he could not send any due to being too busy.

The teenager's father told the inquest that Simon was also physically attacked by his tormenters and had confronted the school about the abuse, which had been going on for over five months.

"On another occasion when I called Simon to tell him I would pick him up from school I heard children calling him names in the background."

Speaking at the hearing at Smethwick Council House Wednesday, the father described the moment he found his son dead after returning home from a night shift at 4.15 a.m., last October.

"Simon's music was blaring and his lights were still on so I went upstairs to tell him to go to bed. He was hanging. I just ran downstairs screaming - I could not believe it."