The death of a woman found dead at her home on Romney Marsh will remain a mystery, an inquest heard.

Police were called to a house at Lade Fort Cottages, Lydd, after the body of Elisabeth Turley was discovered by a neighbour in March.

The coroner’s court at County Hall in Maidstone heard a woman in a nearby property had grown concerned after noticing a lack of activity from 53-year-old Mrs Turley for several days.

The neighbour, having spotted a parcel lying on the doorstep dated “four or five” days prior, tried the door handle and, finding it open, entered the property to discover the homeowner’s body on the floor.

Police and paramedics attended the scene on March 11, and Mrs Turley was pronounced dead.

Area coroner Katrina Hepburn read out an excerpt from a police report that described the widow as “a hoarder”.

“The neighbours had last heard her putting her bins out on March 4, and had started to grow increasingly concerned after they noticed the blinds had not been opened for days,” it continued.

“A neighbour tried the door handle at around 6pm on March 11, and saw the deceased laying on the floor between the kitchen and the living room.

“She was clearly dead, and in an advance state of decomposition.

“The property was untidy and it was clear she was a hoarder.”

The court heard Mrs Turley was known to have epilepsy, and suffered on average around one seizure a week – sometimes at increased rates when she was tired or anxious.

However, a post-mortem examination was unable to identify any accurate cause of death.

Leaving the inquest ruling open, Ms Hepburn added: “There were no violent injuries and police have ruled out any third-party or suspicious circumstances.

“I am not prepared to list Mrs Turley’s death as natural, although it may have been.”