TWO people arrested by police are no longer being investigated over the death of a 94-year-old New Forest man.

An 90-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man were held on suspicion of helping the pensioner to kill himself at Georgian-style home in Lymington.

They were detained in January following the death of former company director Ralph Saxon Snell.

A post-mortem examination was carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue but proved inconclusive and additional tests were ordered.

Now police have confirmed that no further action will be taken against the two people who were detained.

A spokesman said: “A 90-year-old woman from Lymington and a 69-year-old man from Somerset had been arrested on suspicion of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging/assisting the suicide of another.

“Following a thorough investigation and advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, both the woman and the man have been released with no further action.”

Earlier this year an inquest into Mr Snell’s death was opened and adjourned at Winchester Coroner’s Court.

Senior coroner Grahame Short was told that further tests were needed to determine the cause of death and adjourned the inquest until August 9.

The decision to take no further action against the two suspects follows the results of the tests.

As reported in the Daily Echo, police were alerted at 9.53pm on January 28 after Mr Snell’s body was found at his home.

The two people arrested were detained on suspicion of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging/assisting the suicide of another, an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The pair, who were not named, were later released but remained under investigation.

One of Mr Snell’s neighbours said: “He was very nice, very easy, but he hadn’t been well for the past year or so. He wasn’t the same person.”