THE body of Francis Mooney, 45, lay in his home for seven weeks before being discovered, an inquest was told on Wednesday.

Police were called to Mr Mooney's home in Cornfield Road, Devizes, on Friday after neighbours noticed a large number of flies in the front window of the house on the Jump Farm estate.

They discovered Mr Mooney's badly decomposed body lying on his sofa.

Friday would have been his 46th birthday.

Wiltshire Coroner David Masters heard yesterday that the house was secured and there was no evidence of the involvement of a third party.

The police did not find any notes or anything to suggest that Mr Mooney had taken his own life.

Identification of the body had to be carried out with the aid of dental records and items of personal jewellery.

A post mortem examination has, as yet, been unable to establish a cause of death.

More tests are to be undertaken. Mr Masters adjourned the inquest for six weeks.

Mr Mooney, who was born on the Isle of Man and lived alone, was thought to be estranged from his wife. Neighbours described him as someone who kept himself to himself.

He was rarely seen out and people living close by said they had only seen him about three times this year.

Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death.