AN ERITH man and a Greenwich woman have been named as the couple found dead in a swimming pool at a hotel in Essex.

Komba Kpakiwa, 31, and Josephine Newahun Foday, 22, were discovered in the water at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hatfield Heath on Saturday evening.

Ms Foday's birthday was the previous day and she was at the hotel to celebrate. Mr Komba was also at the hotel for a birthday celebration.

Eleanor McGann, deputy coroner for Essex, opened and adjourned an inquest at New Bridge House in Chelmsford this afternoon.

The brief hearing heard that the pair were found floating face down at about 7.30pm in the water. Efforts to save them failed.

Witnesses, including hotel guests, had seen them alive in swimming gear 15 minutes earlier.
Essex Police said that a provisional post-mortem examination found that their deaths were consistent with drowning.

A police spokesman said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious. Police are focusing on the relationship between the victims as part of their investigation.

Chris Falcus, manager of Down Hall Hotel, said: "We wish to reiterate our condolences to the friends and families of the lady and gentleman concerned. Both myself and the team at the hotel are deeply upset by what has happened.

"The results of the post-mortem examination have concluded that the deaths of the two people were consistent with drowning, which puts an end to inappropriate speculation about our facilities."