“And how are you planning to leave?” asked an elderly woman, at the end of the seminar on suicide. Philip Nitschke, an Australian physician known in his home country as Dr Death, replied, deadpan: “I have a train ticket back to London.”

Not for the first time did his audience dissolve into laughter. It was a rare opportunity for levity at what, for most of them, is a worrying time.

About 50 people were at the public part of Dr Nitschke’s seminar in Bournemouth in which explained why he believes voluntary euthanasia should be available to those who feel life is no longer worth living.

The “Costa Geriatrica” — deliberately picked because of the number of older people there — was the first stop on his first “euthanasia tour” of Britain. An attempt to hold a similar tour last year was aborted when the managers of every hall he had booked backed out at short notice in the face of public outcry.

Dr Nitschke, who helped four people to die when euthanasia was briefly legalised in Australia, explained the choice people faced: a lingering and possibly painful death in hospital, surrounded by strangers, or a quick, pain-free and peaceful exit at home. He showed a video of Betty, his octogenarian assistant, demonstrating how to commit suicide with a large roasting bag and a can of helium of the kind used to inflate balloons.

His own preferred method, in keeping with his motto, “I’d rather die like a dog”, is nembutal, washed down with a whisky. Nembutal is a barbiturate used by vets to put down animals. It is strictly controlled in Britain but available over the counter in Mexico.

He urged his audience to prepare their own “end of life” strategy before they became too old or sick. Much better to stock up now rather than risk the liberty of a loved one, he suggested.

Dr Nitschke, who heads to Brighton today, Stroud tomorrow and Glasgow on Friday, said: “Suicide is not a crime but assistance is and has savage penalties.”

He added: “I cannot condone anything that is illegal but I know hundreds of people who have bought nembutal in Mexico and flown back to this country without any problem.”

No one pointed out the irony of running the gauntlet of Mexican swine flu to procure a suicide drug.

Charles Beach, 76, who had recently spent time in hospital, said: “The things I saw in hospital were an abomination I would not have expected in this country. This man must be supported because he is helping people.”

Mr Beach, from Ringwood, was among 20 people who stayed behind for a private workshop. Participants had to be over 50 years or suffering a terminal illness. They also had to sign a disclaimer saying that they would not put his information to use.

Edward Gwinnell, 79, from Yeovil, said: “Important questions should be discussed openly rather than behaving like an ostrich and sticking one’s head in the sand.”

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