THE inquest into the death of the man decapitated in his Bournemouth flat was opened this afternoon.

Bournemouth Coroners’ Court heard that Sergio Retamar Marquez, 23, was found dead in his flat at Lansdowne Mews, off Lansdowne Road just before 5pm on Tuesday.

Sergio worked as a waiter at the Britannia Hotel in Meyrick Road on the East Cliff.

He’d previously been a student at the United World School of English in St Peter’s Road in Bournemouth.

Sergio, who was from the southern Spanish town of Coin, was hacked to death in a two-bedroom flat above Downes Wine Bar in Lansdowne Road.

Today’s inquest heard that Mr Marquez’s body was identified by his uncle Miguel Marquez Torres at Holly Tree Lodge this morning.

A post mortem examination was carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue who said in his opinion the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest, pending toxicology and histology reports.

A full inquest will be heard at a later date.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is assisting police with their enquiries.