Police await Barrymore pool death tests

Guests at Michael Barrymore's house were questioned

Detectives are investigating whether the man found dead in Michael Barrymore's swimming pool had been sexually assaulted before he died, police sources have said.

Stuart Lubbock, 31, was found floating in the outdoor swimming pool at the TV entertainer's home in Roydon, Essex, at 0600BST on Saturday 31 March and died later in hospital.

A report in the Daily Mail quoted a police source indicating that detectives believe the victim may have had sex shortly before he died and that tests will establish whether this was consensual.

DNA and fingerprint tests have been taken as a matter of routine from Mr Barrymore and the other guests at his home on the night of the death, the sources added.

Stuart Lubbock: Semi-naked body was found in pool

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said inquiries were continuing into the death and detectives were awaiting the results of toxicology and other forensic tests which could take "weeks rather than days".

Father-of-two Mr Lubbock, who worked as a butchers factory supervisor, had met Mr Barrymore for the first time on 31 March at a club in Harlow, Essex, and had been invited back to the millionaire's home for a party, the Daily Mail reported.

Paramedics were called to the house after his semi-naked body was discovered but he was pronounced dead in hospital two hours later.

An inquest into his death was opened on Thursday and a post-mortem has revealed that he drowned.

Mr Barrymore and the other guests have been questioned by police and are likely to be re-questioned once the test results are known.

Mr Barrymore is believed to be recuperating at Marchwood Priory hospital in Southampton.