Michael Payne, the father of the murdered school girl Sarah Payne, has been found dead at his home in Kent.

The 45-year-old, whose eight-year-old daughter was abducted and murdered in July 2000, had struggled with depression and alcoholism.

He and his then-wife, Sara, rose to national prominence in 2000 in the weeks after eight-year-old Sarah’s abduction by Roy Whiting, a paedophile later jailed for life for her murder.

Sara won particular admiration for the way she worked with the media to make a series of appeals for her daughter’s return. While her husband was a steady presence by her side at that time, he is thought to have coped less well in the years afterwards.

He had been living in Brishing Lane, Park Wood, in Maidstone, since separating from his wife in 2003 and moving out of the family home in Surrey.

Michael Payne was jailed for 16 months in December 2011 after pleading guilty to striking his brother after they had drunk a large amount of alcohol. Referring to the murder of his daughter, Payne’s defence counsel said at the time: “The assorted aftermath had a life-changing effect on him and his then wife and his family. It’s desperately sad. He never sought nor was offered assistance with bereavement counselling.

“In a nutshell, he suffered the kind of experience that is every parent’s enduring nightmare.”

Whiting took Sarah from a country lane where she had been playing near her grandparents’ home in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex, on a summer evening in July 2000.

The Paynes were subsequently at the forefront of calling for “Sarah’s Law” which would involve parents being informed if paedophiles moved into their neighbourhood.

Sara Payne, who was the subject of intensive media interest as Sarah’s mother, later spoke of how the pain of her husband’s pain may have been sidelined, with support systems not oriented towards helping fathers. “I feel sympathy for any man in the situation. It’s not geared to dads. It doesn’t take into account their emotions. They have no one to turn to.”

In an interview she said it was a situation she came across in her work for the charitable Victims of Crimes Trust.

As news emerged of Michael Payne’s death, his daughter Charlotte posted on Facebook that she was “heartbroken”.

“No matter what happened and how many mistakes we all made, you will always be my daddy,” she wrote.

Her brother Lee wrote: “Dad, you had your demons and troubles but you had a good heart and were a decent man … you will be missed. We are all heartbroken.”

Samaritans UK can be contacted on 08457 90 90 90.