A friend who went to check on a couple after they failed to respond to text messages discovered they had died, an inquest heard.

Michael Hall and his partner Charlene Spice were discovered by a friend who visited Mr Hall's flat in Bury St Edmunds to check on them after texts went "unanswered".

An inquest into their deaths was opened at Suffolk Coroners Court in Ipswich today and senior Suffolk coroner's officer Paul Sermons said in a statement to that the friend had a spare key to Mr Hall's home so entered on November 11 last year.

They found the body of the 49-year-old and that of Ms Spice, 35, of Newmarket, "slumped on their backs on the sofa". The pair were known drug users and drank alcohol, the court was told.

Post-mortem examinations were carried out on the pair following their deaths.

Suffolk coroner Nigel Parsley agreed to set an inquest date for October 17 for Mr Hall with Ms Spice's on September 17.