Sick thieves stole from a corpse in a gruesome bid for cash, a Gravesend inquest has been told.

The body of Colin Barnes was found by two teenagers walking their dog near a public footpath. But the youngsters were not the first to have come across his remains, police have revealed.

The 45-year-old had already had his pockets emptied by a thief, or thieves, who then tried to use the details to set up false bank accounts and pay for mobile phone credit.

Speaking at an inquest into Mr Barnes' death, held at Gravesend Adult Education Centre, DI Melanie Smith said: "A pair of scissors was found and the top of the trousers had been cut at the pocket. A wallet had also been emptied, but whoever removed it is unlikely to have been involved in the death."

The body was found on land in Higham, close to Canal Road, in April. Officers did find Mr Barnes' driving licence nearby and confirmed the remains were his following dental record checks. His cause of death remains unknown.

Analysis of his bank details revealed his account activity stopped in 2009 but then began again in March this year, arousing suspicion.

Detectives traced the bank account applications and the mobile phone top-up to another address, whose occupants denied all knowledge of the activity.

Because the applications were made on the internet, there was no way of proving they had used the account details, Det Insp Smith said.

The inquest heard that Mr Barnes, a divorced forklift truck driver from Croydon, had disappeared from his flat in May last year.

Coroner Roger Hatch recorded an open verdict.