Irene Hogg's body, who set ‘very high standards’ was discovered at a secluded spot near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders in March 2008.

Ms Hogg, 54, headteacher at Glendinning Primary School in Galashiels for 19 years and combined teaching with administration.

Her brother, Roger Hogg, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, told the first day of the inquiry into her death that she had been on a "downward curve" in the run-up to the visit by inspectors.

He told Jedburgh Sheriff Court: "From what I'm told about her behaviour in the week and subsequent to it by various staff, parents and friends, she was very, very distraught and almost shell-shocked at what had happened

"Not just the result but the whole process had been quite torturous for her and the outcome in her mind had been quite disastrous.

"She felt her whole professional being had been undermined by this process."

Ms Hogg, who lived alone in Melrose and had been only months away from early retirement, died from "immersion in water and paracetamol toxicity", the inquiry in Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard.

Ms Hogg, desribed as a strong-willed and private person who was respected by her peers, had described the death as a possible cause of action to Mr Hogg.

told the inquiry he had no doubt that the stress of her job and the looming inspection contributed to her death.

He said: "The inspection could have been deferred, given the state of mind and the position she found herself in the school," he said.

He said he was contacted by his parents when Ms Hogg went missing and immediately flew back to Scotland, where he met Ms Hogg’s colleagues who told him she had been "very stressed".

A letter was found by police at Ms Hogg's house which read: "I'm so sorry I've just muddled through the last few years and made a mess of everything."

Mr Hogg, who held a copy of the letter while it was read by the procurator fiscal, said: "Before I read that I had no idea she had the capability to write anything like that.

"It's a side of Irene I've never seen before."

Mr Hogg said he wanted the inquiry to focus on the entire process of school inspections to find where improvements and changes can be made.

"It needs to be understood what lessons could be learned.

He added: "She was always viewed by others as such a strong person. If it can happen to her then it can happen to anyone else."

Supply teacher David Kiernan, 62, a retired school head, was drafted in to relieve some of the burden at Glendinning so Ms Hogg could catch up on administrative duties.

He told the inquiry he had offered to work without pay to help Ms Hogg and praised her professionalism.

Mr Kernan said: "She had my respect. She was dedicated to her school, staff, parents and children. She set very high standards for herself."

He described the atmosphere as "quite fraught" prior to the school inspection.