A FORMER Royal Navy officer who died at her house in Poole lay undiscovered for several weeks, an inquest has heard.

The body of 63-year-old Virginia Waters, who attended Parkstone Grammar School and studied law at Exeter University before joining the Royal Navy, was found by police officers at her Chapel Road home on October 20.

The inquest was told by her brother, David Waters, that he last spoke with Ms Waters on September 21.

He had recently visited her in hospital after she had broken her arm.

Activity on her phone bill suggests her final call was with an old friend based in America on September 26, he told the court.

“Not being in contact for that length of time was not unusual,” he said.

“She would often not answer the door to me – or anyone else.”

He added that Ms Waters had become reclusive in recent times and increasingly dependent on alcohol.

Emergency services were alerted after neighbours became concerned for her welfare and PC Robbie Jephcott found her body lying face down on the kitchen floor, the inquest heard.

Sheriff Payne, the Bournemouth coroner, summarised the post-mortem carried out by Dr Kudair Hussein, which could not identify the cause of death due to the level of decomposition to the body.

“There was no evidence of any serious medical problems,” he added.

“No tests could be carried out for drugs or alcohol and it may be that an excess of these accounted for her death. It may have been entirely natural – but that could not be established.”

Mr Payne recorded an open verdict.