A homeless man leapt four floors to his death at Heathrow , an inquest heard.

Marco Briccocola jumped from the top floor at Terminal 5 on the morning of February 28 last year, landing outside the staff entrance to the Windsor Suite in arrivals, West London Coroner’s Court was told on Friday February 5.

A passing employee administered CPR but the 45-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, having sustained massive head injuries.

The court heard how the Italian had travelled from his native Roma to London in 2001 and had held a number of jobs in the UK.

In 2004, he met his wife-to-be Pia and they had a son, but the mother and child returned to her family in India only a few months after his birth.

Despite numerous trips to Calcutta, Mr Briccocola never saw his son again as his mother-in-law refused to reveal their whereabouts, according to a statement by the deceased’s brother, Giampiero, which was read out in court.

Passengers at Heathrow Terminal 5

Giampiero said his family couldn't understand why his brother would have wanted to kill himself as he had told them “life was good in London”.

The inquest heard how Mr Briccocola had been stopped by police in Heathrow Terminal 3 three days before his death.

He initially told officers he was due to fly but later admitted being homeless and was ejected from the airport.

When he was searched after his death, police found various documents, including a scrap of paper with his wife’s name and an Italian phone number.

They also discovered a piece of paper listing a property in New Road, Bedfont , as his home address. The landlady there told police she had agreed the day before he died to let the property to him.

Senior coroner Chinyere Inyama recorded a conclusion of suicide.