Arrest in unexplained death case

A man has been arrested in connection with the unexplained death of an elderly woman in Dorset.

Irene Hawkes of Wakely Road, Bournemouth, was found by police at her home on Tuesday after a call from a concerned relative.

A post-mortem examination has indicated she died of head and chest injuries but officers have not ruled out they may have been caused accidentally.

A 49-year-old Bournemouth man is assisting police with their enquiries.

Det Ch Insp Neil Redstone, of Dorset Police, said: "There was no sign of a burglary at the address and our enquiries are continuing into how she came to receive those injuries - one possibility is that her injuries may have been caused accidentally.

"We're also looking at whether someone else was in the house at the time of her death or immediately after."

The exact time of Mrs Hawkes death was still unknown and police appealed for anyone who had seen her since Monday 28 April.