Mystery surrounds the death of a man whose body was found “severely decomposed” in his Marlow flat last year.

Jozef Budzichowski was discovered in his Sandygate Close home by a neighbour who called the police after the smell “permeated” up into his flat above.

The 54-year-old is thought to have died sometime between July 4, when his debit card was last shown to have been used, and July 25 when he was discovered.

An inquest into his death heard he took over the Red Kite property’s lease when the died several years ago and is thought to have lived alone at the property.

Wycombe District Council, which carried out a sweep of the property after Mr Budzichowski’s body was taken away, said a number of unopened letters, including a bank statement, were found.

His latest bank statement showed his debit card had last been used on July 4 at Tesco, which is thought to be his last known activity.

Police officers who were dispatched to the scene said they saw flies in the flat through the kitchen window and, when they broke down the front door to get in, smelled a “strong stench” of something decomposing.

They said there was no sign of foul play and the house was “well secured” with all the doors and windows locked.

Dr Mungalsingh, who carried out a postmortem and toxicology on Mr Budzichowski, said his body was so decayed it was not possible to draw fluids to carry out a toxicology and so his liver was used instead. Nothing “untoward” was found, he said.

Senior coroner Crispin Butler said there was no evidence of injuries such as self-harm and nothing to indicate that he had intended to take his own life.

He recorded an open conclusion, with the medical cause of death as ‘unascertained’.