THE death of a woman who is believed to have lain dead in her Netherton flat for some weeks remains a mystery after a coroner recorded an open verdict.

Police attended and forced entry to the property in St George's Road on February 12 after neighbours raised the alarm and inside officers discovered the body of council tenant Linda Davenport on the floor.

An inquest into her death was held at Black Country Coroner's Court at Oldbury last Thursday (February 25) and Joanne Lees, area coroner, said it was likely that she had been deceased for some time.

Ms Davenport, aged 54, was found on the floor between a bed and a TV cabinet against the wall, the inquest was told.

A post mortem failed to establish the cause of death due, to the advanced state of decomposition, and the coroner recorded an open verdict.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and Dudley Council said they had been made aware of Ms Davenport's tragic death and that thoughts were with her friends and family.

Neighbours who were shocked to hear of Ms Davenport's passing had told how she would rarely venture out and kept herself to herself.