Tributes have been paid to a 'lovely lady' whose body was discovered near to a block of flats in the city.

An investigation was launched by police following the discovery of the body at Hobart Square, off Hall Road, at about 8.15am on Thursday.

An inquest was yesterday opened and adjourned into the death of the woman who has been named as Susan Pollard, 54, a carer who lived at Hobart Square.

William Armstrong, Norfolk coroner, said she was discovered lying on a concrete pavement patio at the rear of the block of flats by a man who lived on the ground floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene before being identified the following day by her son Jake. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be multiple injuries due to a fall.

Mr Armstrong said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and no third party involvement.

Alison Creed, 44, a neighbour who lived with two of her grandchildren on the same balcony as Mrs Pollard for the past two years, said: 'She was a lovely lady. She used to do charity work and used to give things to homeless people.

'She just used to help people who used to sleep rough and buy them cups of tea – she was that sort of person. She was always out on her little motorbike doing something for someone.'

Mrs Creed said she saw Mrs Pollard on the day before her body was discovered and did not notice anything unusual.

She said: 'There was no suggestion that there was anything wrong. She was such a happy lady, that's why everyone up here was so shocked. She always had a smile on her face and was always helping someone. I'm going to miss speaking to her every day. When I used to go out she was getting her bike out of the shed to get out and help someone and when I came back she would be putting it back. If you befriended her she was your friend.' Paramedics were called and an ambulance and rapid response vehicle attended but the woman, who is believed to have fallen to her death, had sustained a traumatic head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police cordoned off a green at the back of Hobart Square and a section of a block of flats on the estate, including a garden area.

No date has yet been fixed for the resumption of the inquest into her death.

Would you like to pay tribute to a loved one? Call Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk