POLICE are no longer treating the sudden death of a woman as suspicious.

An investigation was launched after the woman, aged 40, was found unconscious at the flat on the corner of Mountbatten Drive and Avignon Close, Colchester, on Monday.

The woman died on Tuesday morning in Colchester General Hospital and has been named locally as Lisa.

A man, aged 59 and from Colchester, was then arrested on suspicion of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).

However, following a post-mortem examination on Tuesday afternoon, Essex Police confirmed the man will face no police action.

He has been released from custody.

Neighbours, who paid tribute to the woman, said the man arrested had been her boyfriend.

Terry Scarlett, 70, of Avignon Close, said the woman had lived at the flat for about three years.

He added: “When I spoke to her a couple of times, she said she came from a farming family in Bures, but she kept herself to herself.”

Mr Scarlett said residents in the close-knit cul-de-sac were also still taking in the news of her sudden death.

He added: “We all sort of look after one another.

“We said we would put some flowers out there today.

“It is a nice community.

“Everybody helps everyone, everybody is sad.

“The overall atmosphere is sad here.

“It is not as if she was very old. I think it hasn’t sunk in for a lot of people.”

Relatives of the woman, including a man who said he was her son, were at the flat yesterday removing personal items.

The police cordon had also been removed.

Police were initially called to the flat by the ambulance service who were sent at 3.30pm on Monday.

Police arrived around an hour later.

After Tuesday’s post-mortem examination, the provisional cause of the woman’s death has been recorded as natural causes.

An inquest will take place at a later date.