An inquest into the tragic death of a 28-year-old has opened this morning.

Kayleigh Caesar was found dead at The Dragoon in Sandling Road, Maidstone, on Christmas Eve.

Police confirmed the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Miss Caesar's mother, Clare Parslow, took over as landlady of The Dragoon last January.

She said: "Her many friends and locals have been touched by her infectious sense of fun, with the sound of her laughter never far away.

"But sometimes the pressures of life can be cruel and a shining star of beauty and goodness has been extinguished.

"She will be sorely missed but never forgotten."

At the opening of the inquest, the court heard that the cause of death was suspension.

The inquest was opened by senior coroner Patricia Harding on Thursday, December 29, but was heard in public this morning.

The full inquest has been adjourned until Tuesday, March 14, pending further investigation by the coroner's office.