AN investigation into a firefighter accused of assaulting children was too new for him to have been told the details, police have said.

Dorset Police have confirmed that "allegations of physical assault" - not sexual assault - were made against Matthew Norman in the days before he hanged himself at his home in Swanage in October last year.

Social services had told him the allegations existed, but although an investigation was launched, the 45-year-old father-of-three had not been arrested, nor told the nature or seriousness of the accusations made against him by the children of a friend.

A spokesman for the force said: "Allegations of physical assault had been made against Matthew Norman and the investigation was in its early stages.

"No arrests had been made and Mr Norman had not been approached by Dorset Police."

The spokesman said the investigation has been closed and no one else is being sought in connection.

Their statement added: "Our thoughts are with Mr Norman’s family in this difficult time."

On Thursday, an inquest at Bournemouth Coroner's Court ruled that Mr Norman, a retained firefighter and landscape gardener, had taken his own life.

The inquest heard he had sent text messages to his former wife Sue shortly after he was informed of the accusations, saying: "I feel so upset and helpless. I don’t know what to do with myself. I would not hurt any child - you know that."

His family asked a social worker at the hearing why he was not informed of the full extent of the allegations, and they were told this was the responsibility of the police while social services focused on the care of the children involved.

Mr Norman, of Days Road, lived in a two-bedroom wooden cabin at the rear of his parents’ home.

He had been due to take his own children to Center Parcs on the day of his death, but the trip had been cancelled due to the allegations.