A 32-year-old employee of Anglo Irish Bank committed suicide after suffering emotional trauma from the abuse of angry members of the public at the height of the banking crisis.

Stephen Doyle, a supervisor at the bank’s flagship St. Stephen’s Green branch, had to listen to customers’ complaints about former chairman Sean FitzPatrick and other executives, which led to the €30bn taxpayer bailout.

Management had to hire security guards three months ago after the abuse to Anglo workers peaked to serious levels.

Doyle was transferred in March to an administrative position after he started to become withdrawn and lost weight. Despite the transfer, he did not recover.

 He was found hanged from a tree by the Royal Canal at Leixlip, Co Kildare, close to his home.

He is survived by his wife of less than two years and their twin nine-month-old baby girls, Imogen and Zoey. His wife Kerrie was also an employee of the Anglo Irish Bank, where they met, but his wife had not returned to the bank after giving birth.

"He was a frontline staff member who was put through the mill by the general public and he snapped. At the height of the banking crisis he had a supervisor's role in the public area in Stephen's Green. People were literally coming in and shouting at the receptionists and other staff members,” said one colleague.

"He was the first receiver of complaints and had to be transferred out because he simply couldn't handle the stress and abuse. We don't expect sympathy from the public because of what happened here, but he was only an ordinary employee, not Seán FitzPatrick. We feel we are taking the blame for the behaviour of others."

Police have launched an investigation and interviewed Anglo employees.

"Our colleague Stephen Doyle passed away yesterday. Stephen's colleagues are greatly saddened by his death. Our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends at this sad time, “ a bank spokesperson told the Sunday Tribune.