EastEnd starÂ’s tradegy

Samantha JanusÂ’ father was found hanged at his home inÂ…

09:17 24 August 2009

The father of EastEnders star Samantha Janus has been found dead at his home in Brighton, in a suspected suicide.

According to reports, Noel Janus, 60, suffered from a long period of depression before he was discovered hanged in his one bedroom council flat.

His daughter, Samantha Janus, who plays Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap, was seen upset outside the building alongside her husband Mark Womack.

Womack stated: “She askes to be left alone to grieve with her family”.

Neighbour John Austin, 63, said: "As far as we know he hanged himself. He was a nice chap and I got on with him. He seemed quite bright even though he had heart trouble."

Another local resident, Mark Berridge, 49, said: "He told me he was going to hospital to get results on his heart. For all we know he might have known his illness was going to kill him and decided to take the easiest way out."

Noel Janus was said to have a fractured relationship with his daughter. At her recent wedding to Womack, she refused to allow him to walk her down the aisle and he was not visible in any of the pictures taken for OK! magazine.

He said at the time: "It was like a dagger to the heart. The whole of Samantha's side of the family, including myself and her mother, have been completely left out of all the photos.

"They show only Mark's side of the family. It's like we weren't there - we don't exist. I've been completely snubbed in such an open fashion."