AN INQUEST has been opened into the death of a man whose body was found in woods near Basingstoke hospital on Thursday.

The body of Kevin Sewry, of Bernstein Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, was discovered by firefighters called to deal with a woodland blaze on the footpath between Basingstoke hospital and Priestley Road.

Four firefighters in a fire vehicle went to the scene after receiving reports of a small rubbish fire at 9pm. They quickly extinguished the fire, but discovered the body of the 38-year-old man.

They informed Hampshire Constabulary and police officers arrived at the scene shortly afterwards.

The area of woodland where the grisly discovery was made was sealed off and police initially treated the case as a possible murder inquiry.

The scene was preserved for six hours while officers carried out their investigations and established that the death was not suspicious.

Police and the fire service have not released any further details.

On Friday the body was identified as being that of Mr Sewry and his family were notified.

The file was then passed to North East Hampshire coroner, Andrew Bradley, who opened and adjourned an inquest into the death.

The inquest will be held at the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Civic Offices, in London Road, on October 9.

Basingstoke firefighter and White Watch crew manager Sean Ratcliffe was first on the scene. He told The Gazette: “It was a bit of a shock. You gear yourself up for a fire in the open and then you find something like that.”