An 83-year-old man who was fatally stabbed while walking his dogs in woodland near the Suffolk/Norfolk border died from “incised wounds to the neck”, an inquest heard.

Peter Wrighton, from Banham in Norfolk, was repeatedly stabbed in the neck and head and his body was found in woodland near East Harling on Saturday morning.

Norfolk’s senior coroner Jacqueline Lake, opening the inquest into Mr Wrighton’s death, said: “He left his home address to take his dogs for a walk.

“He was found unresponsive by a member of the public on a footway at Harling Woods.

“Paramedics attended and Mr Wrighton was pronounced dead at the scene.”

A post-mortem examination recorded the medical cause of death as “incised wounds to the neck”.

His body was formally identified by his wife Ann to a police officer at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Tuesday.

His family described Mr Wrighton as “a lovely, gentle husband, dad and grandfather.”

They paid tribute to his “kind nature” and his “love of walking his dogs and chatting with people to pass the time of day”.

The hearing, at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich, was told Mr Wrighton was a retired BT engineer and was born in Tottenham, London.

The inquest was adjourned for review on December 14 2017.

No arrests have been made since Mr Wrighton’s body was found by a member of the public.

Murder detectives are continuing to investigate his death and believe a member of the public could hold the key to finding his killer.

Chief Superintendent Mike Fawcett moved to reassure the public that detectives are following “several lines of inquiry” and police had received more than 100 calls.