SAINTS club captain Jason Dodd's family was rocked by tragedy after his father-in-law was found dead from knife wounds, it was revealed yesterday.

Paul Bratt's body was discovered in the bedroom of his Whiteley home by his lodger, an inquest heard.

Now, deputy coroner for Central Hampshire Simon Burge has ordered police to carry out fingerprint tests on a kitchen knife found next to the body despite detectives finding no suspicious circumstances.

He said he was "concerned" and "surprised" no forensic examination had been carried out - if only to put the family's mind at rest that nobody else was involved.

The inquest was told that Mr Dodd himself had found his father-in-law's handwritten note describing how low he was feeling and expressing his love for his two children.

The piece of notepaper had been left inside a copy of Nick Faldo's biography by Mr Bratt's bed. Police also found £920 in banknotes in a bedside cabinet.

Mr Dodd, 32, was not at yesterday's inquest but attended pre-season training with the Saints. The club had given him a fortnight's compassionate leave after the January 30 tragedy.

Mr Dodd is the club's longest serving current player with more than 400 Saints appearances in his 14 years on the books at The Dell and St Mary's, but injury robbed him of an FA Cup final place against Arsenal in May.

The inquest heard that part-time taxi driver Mr Bratt, 58, had been anxious about financial problems and owed £2,000 to the taxman.

However, only the day before his death he had enjoyed tea with his daughter Wendy and her two children at the family home in Southampton she shares with Mr Dodd.

Mrs Dodd, who attended the inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court with her brother Simon, said her father of Thyme Avenue, Whiteley, never spoke of taking his own life.

She added: "We were very close and only 20 minutes away from each other by car. My dad would come to visit us two days a week."

She said that after her father's death no serious money problems had come to light in his personal finances.

In a police statement, lodger Bruce Miller told of twice-divorced Mr Bratt's financial worries.

"He was concerned that the taxman was scrutinising his returns about his previous business.

"Whatever the taxman was investigating was causing him a great deal of stress."

Recording an open verdict, Mr Burge said: "It seems extremely difficult to comprehend why the deceased reached the end of the road.

"Financial problems have been suggested as a possible motive. However, those problems seemed to be relatively insignificant."

After the inquest, Mrs Dodds paid tribute to her father who she said had suffered from health problems and depression in the past.

She described him as a "doting grandfather."

"Nobody could believe it when it happened. He loved seeing our two children.

"The knife should have been checked for fingerprints and hopefully when that it is done we will have complete peace of mind."