A woman, killed during an incident involving a stallion in a field, had visited Darent Valley Hospital before her death.

The body of the 53-year-old was discovered in fields in Darenth Wood Road, Dartford, at 10am on Friday.

National media have speculated the Gravesend woman was mauled by the stallion after entering the fields that run alongside the hospital.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious and have handed information to the coroner to record the death.

A Darent Valley Hospital spokesman said: "We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the lady who was killed in this tragic incident.

"She came into the Emergency Department at Darent Valley late on Thursday evening, was assessed and was admitted to our Clinical Decisions Unit. "Doctors advised her to stay in hospital. However, she took the decision to leave."

The spokesman said he could not reveal why she had visited in the first place.

A Kent Police spokesman refused to confirm speculation that she had been thrown from the horse but did say the animal had not been put down.