TRIBUTES have been paid to Devizes man Luke Wright whose body was found in the Pines Hotel at Chippenham, where he had been living.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death but said samples had been sent off for toxicological analysis.

An inquest was opened and adjourned yesterday.

Mr Wright, who was 32, was brought up in Devizes and went to Southbroom Junior School and Devizes School.

He was close to his father, Anthony, who lives in New Park Street.

The police were called in when his father became worried that he had not been able to contact his son.

Mr Wright's body was discovered in the hotel on Friday.

It is believed that Mr Wright had been living at the Pines Hotel for three months.

Mr Wright had returned to work at Hygrade in Chippenham after losing his job at Dyson in Malmesbury.

At Hygrade he worked as a production operator in the decanning department.

His production manager Laurence Johnstone said Mr Wright was a popular employee and said colleagues were deeply shocked.

"Luke was well liked by staff and the management alike. He was the life and soul of the place. He was hardworking and will be sorely missed," he said.

Before moving to Chippenham Mr Wright had worked as a labourer and at the Kwik Save store (now One Stop) in the Market Place, Devizes.

Mr Wright survived an accident in which he fell from a bridge in Bath several years ago. He suffered head injuries in the fall which happened after he had been out for the evening with friends.

This incident happened shortly after a fire in his flat at Southbridge House in Potterne Road, Devizes, in September 1996. The fire spread through the flats in Southbridge House and 39-year-old Adrian Neate, who lived in a flat on the top floor, died in the blaze. An inquest heard that the fire started after friends of Mr Wright lit candles in his flat while he had gone out drinking with a friend.

Mr Wright told an inquest that he did not know the candles had been lit and he had tried to put out the fire but was unable to.

Paul Dickinson, 33, of Devizes and a friend of Mr Wright, said: "Although the fire wasn't his fault he got a lot of hassle from people who blamed him for it. What happened did mix him up slightly and he moved out of Devizes."