A newly-divorced father who used a train set to lure his two young sons to their deaths in a 'terrible' arson attack had been worried about his access rights to the children, an inquest has heard. Darren Sykes died alongside Paul, nine, and Jack, 12, after setting a fire in his  home and locking himself and the boys in the attic. The 44-year-old had been worried about how much he would be able to see the children after recently divorcing from their mother, Sheffield Coroner's Court heard. Mr Sykes died in the attic after inhaling smoke while Paul's body was found near the edge of the loft. Jack, who was found unconscious next to its hatch door, died in hospital five days later. Darren Sykes died after setting fire to his home after luring sons Paul (left) and Jack (right) into the attic with a new train set. The newly-divorced father had been worried about his custody rights, an inquest into his death heard . The 44-year-old had recently divorced the boys' mother when he set the fire. Above, a family photograph taken in the years before their death . In the days before his death the father of two from Penistone, south Yorkshire, sent letters to a bank telling them he 'would not be alive' to pay his mortgage. On October 22, when the three were killed in the fire, he sent a text message to a handful of friends saying 'he was going to be at peace'. Concluding that the carpet estimator had intended to take his own life, Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries said: 'The whole business is absolutely terrible. Following a police statement which described the ongoing custody battle between Mr Sykes and his estranged wife Claire, he added: 'He may have taken the view he would have less access.' On the morning of his death Mr Sykes spent £800 on a model railway track before sending text messages to both his sons asking them to visit him at his house that day. Before luring them into the attic he sprayed four cans of petrol across  the ground floor of the house and barricaded doors with furniture. He had also tied the front and back garden gates with cord to prevent anyone from accessing the property. Mr Sykes had recently divorced the boys' mother Claire (above). A coroner told of how he may have been worried about his access rights to the children after family court liaisons met with police officers . Jack, left, spent five days in hospital fighting for his life while younger brother Paul (right) was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital . Neighbours described seeing a flash come from the property moments after Mr Sykes sent text messages to friends saying he would be 'at peace'. Police and firefighters arrived to find the 44-year-old's body in the loft . Police were forced to smash a window to gain access to the property. Right, neighbours leave tributes to the family following the tragedy . 'The door to the stairs had been wedged to stop anyone coming down and there were chairs behind the front door as if to prevent people coming in,' said special fire investigator Michael Mason. Evidence suggested Mr Sykes's eldest son Jack made a desperate attempt to escape as flames ravaged the floors beneath them. 'At some point during the fire the loft hatch was closed and then opened during the fire which allowed a plume of smoke with gases to enter the loft. 'It was a natural reaction to try to get out.' Explaining how investigators knew it was Jack rather than his father of young brother who tried to escape, he added: 'Opening the hatch made the position untenable.' Recording a verdict of suicide, coroner Dorries said it was 'abundantly clear' Mr Sykes had set the fire which killed him and his two sons. 'All three were inside the loft with the hatch closed when the fire took hold. 'There is no evidence that it was set by anyone else other than Mr Sykes. He intended to take his own life.' An inquest into the boys’ deaths will be held later this week.
Darren Sykes, 44, died alongside his two sons in a house fire in October . He had barricaded them into the attic of his property in south Yorkshire . Lured the children with an £800 train set bought on the morning of death . Evidence showed eldest son, 12, tried to escape by opening attic hatch . He died in hospital five days later while younger brother died at the scene . An inquest heard newly-divorced father was worried about custody rights . Family court liaisons met with police two days before  to discuss the case .