One of the highest ranking police officers to ''come out'' as gay hanged himself after a drinks binge, an inquest heard yesterday.

Scotsman David Baff, 33 - the Metropolitan Police's youngest Detective Chief Inspector - who would have been promoted to Superintendent within a month, worried ''excessively and unnecessarily'' about losing his job and minor financial concerns, Poplar Coroner's Court was told.

On May 4 this year he drank a potentially lethal amount of alcohol at the three-storey house he shared with his partner, fellow policeman James Baillee in Mast House Terrace, Millwall, before hanging himself with a rope, from a first- floor banister.

Coroner Dr Stephen Chan said that to the man in the street it would appear to have been an obvious suicide, but Mr Baff had drunk so much before his death he would not have been capable of forming a conscious decision to take his own life. He recorded an open verdict.

Pathologist Dr Diane Cox told the inquest that Mr Baff had a blood alcohol level of 260 milligrams and a urine level of 350 milligrams.

Mr Baff's mother, Mrs Martha Baff, said her son frequently rung her at the family home in Falkirk. On Easter Sunday this year he phoned up ''upset and tearful'' and said he had been drinking heavily.

She was concerned and her concern was heightened when he phoned her again on the following Wednesday and said: ''I'm so lonely, I'm here for everyone and there's nobody here for me.''

She and her husband immediately flew down to London to stay with Mr Baff for a week. At the end of their stay he put his arms around her and said: ''Thank you for comforting me.'' She told him to come up and stay with them in Falkirk but he said, ''Oh mum, it's my dearest wish but I just don't have the time.''

Mrs Baff said her son had never tried to harm himself in the past and the whole family was ''devastated'' by his death.

Mr Baillee said Mr Baff seemed to worry excessively about his work and recently he had noticed that he had been drinking excessively.

''In the months before his death he seemed to have an obsessive concern that he would be found not up to his job and would get the sack,'' he added.

Mr Baillee said he told his partner he needed help, especially when he spoke about ending his life and bought a rope which he left wrapped up in the house they shared.

However, Mr Baff appeared to be getting steadily more cheerful as the weeks went by despite his concerns about his finances but they sat down and went through their finances and found they were not as bad as they had expected.

On the day of Mr Baff's death he had made breakfast but Mr Baillee was concerned when he saw that he seemed to be under the influence of alcohol when he came back from a shopping expedition.

Mr Baff then went out for about three hours and when he returned, said: ''I have to get away, I need some time to sort myself out.'' Mr Baillee said he put Mr Baff to bed because he had obviously had ''quite a skinful'' before going out to do some work on the patio.

When he went upstairs later he found Mr Baff hanging by the rope.

Dr Chan, recording the open verdict, said Mr Baff was clearly a perfectionist who worried excessively and unreasonably about his job and financial situation.

''He was no doubt a gifted police officer who will clearly be greatly missed.''