THE wife of Scots rugby star Scott Hastings has told of the desperation caused by depression that moved her to attempt suicide by trying to trigger a peanut allergy.

Jenny Hastings, 50, spoke out about the illness she has suffered in an effort to raise awareness and help others who have struggled with depression.

Her Sky Sports commentator husband saved her life after the attempt, in which she swallowed peanuts to cause the allergic reaction.

The mother-of-two described how she found herself in a "dark place" in a bout of depression just months ago, after battling the illness on and off for nearly 20 years. Hastings, 49, rushed to her aid after she had tried to kill herself.

Mrs Hastings said: "I bought a bag of mixed nuts in Marks and Spencer, drove to South Queensferry and parked up the car, before eating a peanut. I'd left no suicide notes. No explanations. I just wanted to die and end it all.

"I'm absolutely ashamed looking back, now that I'm well again, at what I almost did to Scott and our children. But at the time I thought I was doing them a favour and they would be better off without me."

Describing the day of her suicide attempt, the former swimmer said in a newspaper interview that she eventually drove home.

She added: "When I reached the house, I started to be violently sick. I went into anaphylactic shock.

"Scott grabbed the EpiPen adrenaline shot and injected me in the leg. We didn't know if we were using it properly, so he stabbed me in the other leg to make sure."

Mrs Hastings spent time in hospital after the incident in August. Hastings, a former British Lion and one of Scotland's most capped players,said he first knew of the illness in 1996.

The rugby star said it was difficult for him to broach the subject at first.

He said: "No-one talked about mental health then. Thankfully we've come a long way, but we could still go so much further."