BAD GRAMMAR -- A HANGING OFFENCE

Note to all journalists covering the Harold Shipman suicide.

When hang means "to die by hanging," hanged is the correct past tense and past participial form, as in "Harold Shipman was found hanged in his prison cell."

If I hear the phrase "Shipman hung himself" on the news again I'm going to scream and, quite possibly, hang myself.

Paintings and clothes are hung. People are hanged.