A coroner has launched an investigation after an elderly woman was found dead in her Leytonstone home.

Bessie Okeke, 83, was found decomposing at her home in Raglan Road, a few minutes’ walk from Whipps Cross Hospital.

An inquest into her death was formally opened at the East London Coroner’s Court in Waltham Forest on Monday, November 11.

Senior coroner Graeme Irvine told the court that Mrs Okeke’s body had been discovered on August 30.

“Emergency services were called due to concerns about the welfare of Mrs Okeke,” he said.

“When entry was gained, it was found that she was in an advanced state of decomposition.”

Mrs Okeke’s death was referred to the coroner’s court by the Metropolitan Police Service.

She was identified “through a mosaic of evidence acquired by the Metropolitan Police Service at the scene,” said the coroner.

Mr Irvine ordered a post-mortem examination, which was carried out on September 2.

But he said: “Regrettably, despite specialist assistance with toxicology and histology, Mrs Okeke’s death could not be understood sufficiently to obtain a clear cause of death.”

The pathologist gave her cause of death as unascertained due to “severe decomposition”.

As such, said Mr Irvine, he would have to conduct a full inquest to try to establish how Mrs Okeke came by her death.

He declared her next of kin an interested person in the inquest, which means they have the right to view evidence before the inquest is held and then question any witnesses called to testify at the final hearing.

He ordered his coroner’s officer to collect statements from police about their attendance at the incident and contemporaneous records from the London Ambulance Service.

He also wanted a separate “clear statement setting out how they arrived at identification of the deceased".

He adjourned Mrs Okeke’s inquest until May 6, 2025.