The grief-stricken family of a father-of-one who took his own life have spoken of their anger at being told of his death over the phone.

Contracts manager Gareth Berrow, 37, was found hanged in the stairwell of his home in Godinton Road, Ashford, on February 6 following a row with his partner.

His family is now pushing for a change in procedure after his mother, Diane, was told of her son's sudden death by a telephone call from Kent Police.

Mr Berrow's step-brother, Ian Price, says officers need to break the news about the loss of a loved one in person.

"There should be a national accountability that ensures any message given to a family member regarding the death of a loved one is communicated in person," he said.

"There needs to be some policy in place saying no one should get a phone call as I don't think anyone should go through that again.

"After taking that call, if Diane didn't have the support network around her, anything could have happened - we could have been dealing with two losses.

"Diane had been trying to get in contact with Gareth and she was preparing for him to come home - she didn't get any response but when the phone rang, she would have thought it could be him. I can't imagine how Diane felt when she received that call."

An inquest at the Archbishop’s Palace in Maidstone last week heard how Mr Berrow's body was found after a row with his partner, Rachel Patton, over a shopping trip she went on with a male friend.

The pair had moved from Wales to Ashford in July 2017 for Miss Patton to start her new job at Kent Police.

Mr Price - who is the director of a construction and retail company and lives in Newport in south Wales - says a "softer approach" is needed from police when dealing with sensitive news.

"Someone should come round to see you and break the news - I can't see it being handled in any other way," Mr Price added.

"There should be a duty of care to help the person who receives the news; they do it in the army or if someone has been in a tragic road accident.

"If police turned up, they could have let Diane take a seat and made sure she was in the right frame of mind to take the message."

Mr Berrow - who had previously tried to take his own life in 2014 - had said he would be moving back to Wales before his body was found.

Mr Price, who described his step-brother as a "force of nature" who would do anything for anyone, says more needs to be done to help family members support a loved one dealing with suicidal thoughts.

"If someone is about to commit suicide, police are trained to talk them around and talk them down," Mr Price said.

"The training police receive is fantastic, but could that script they follow be made available to charities and individuals so we too would know how to help a loved one?

"I know the campaigns say ‘talk to that friend or family member’ if they seem to be withdrawing – but what does best practice look like; is there somebody or some charity that people could call, train with or visit?

"Raising awareness is one thing, but having fundamental policies, procedures and structure in place proves that it isn’t just lip service and could actually save lives."

Superintendent Andy Pritchard confirmed Kent Police called Mr Berrow's family to break the news.

In the inquest last week, DI Cara Ferguson said the force alerted Gwent Police in Wales about the death, and said Welsh police then told the family.

But in a statement, superintendent Andy Pritchard of Kent Police said: "On the evening of February 6, we were made aware of the death of a man in his 30s at a property in Godinton Road.

"Inquiries identified a Kent Police employee as a long term partner and the news was conveyed to that individual in person.

"A further call was made to the family, who are based outside of the county, to also inform them of the news.

"No formal complaints have been received about the handling of the investigation.

"Kent Police is committed to providing victims and bereaved families with ongoing support throughout its investigations and this includes allocating an officer as a specific point of contact in every case.

"Every reasonable effort will be made to set up an alternative point of contact should that officer become unavailable.

"An officer’s priority will always be to treat victims and those who have lost someone close to them with compassion and understanding, while also trying to explain the processes of the investigation and show them where they can get further support from.

"They also communicate closely with the coroner’s office, who also provide advice and support for those experiencing a loss.

"This work is often done in difficult or traumatic circumstances and officers try to offer support in the most appropriate and sensitive way given the circumstances."