An inquest has revealed the cause of death of a homeless man whose body was found outside a Southampton church.

Leszek Migdal, known as Peter, died outside Freemantle United Reformed Church on August 19.

His death sparked a murder investigation which led to a man being arrested.

Senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson opened the inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court on Monday.

It heard that Mr Migdal, a Polish national, was found unresponsive by a member of the public with a head trauma. 

A post mortem carried out by pathologist Basil Purdue found the cause of death to be a subdural haemorrhage - where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.

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Mr Migdal's death at the age of 52 sparked a wave of condolences across Southampton.

In a statement, his sister said: “Even though the circumstances he found himself in were tough, we always wanted the best for him.

“Peter will be remembered as life continues for us, we love and will miss him a lot."

Describing his passing as "a painful mystery", she added: “We are reaching out to anyone who may have even the smallest piece of information related to his passing, as it would greatly help us to find solace in saying our final goodbyes."

On November 1, Mr Migdal was one of 62 homeless people who had passed away on the city's streets to be remembered at a memorial service in St Mary’s Church.

A spokesperson for Two Saints Day Centre in Southampton, which supported Mr Migdal, said: "He was a lovely gentleman who was engaging to talk to and full of character.

"The homeless community have been saddened by his passing and continue to be supported by our teams."

The full inquest will be held at Winchester Coroner's Court on May 17 next year.

A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains on bail until December 15 while police continue to investigate what happened.