AN inquest before a jury of a Winchester Prison inmate has been adjourned because of coronavirus.

The hearing had been due to start on Monday March 23 into the death of convicted rapist Nigel Coomber, 55, who died at Southampton General Hospital on March 17 last year.

But because of the public health emergency the senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson has decided to defer the hearing which were due to last several days.

It would have meant a large group of people gathering together in the Council Chamber at The Castle in Winchester.

The inquest opening last March heard that Mr Coomber, formerly of Weston Lane, Southampton, died at Southampton General Hospital after being admitted from Winchester Prison two days earlier.

The then senior coroner Grahame Short said he had been transferred to hospital "after being found in his cell".

Home office forensic pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said in a report to the coroner the preliminary cause of death was "delayed effects of ligature suspension".