THE brother of a Portuguese man whose badly-decomposed body was discovered in a copse heard at an inquest today that the most likely cause of death was that he had hanged himself from a tree.

Carlos Ferreira, 37, of Langford Gardens, King's End, Bicester, was discovered by landscape gardeners in a copse near Gavray Drive, in the town, on October 23.

Mr Ferreira was last seen drinking in the Penny Black pub, in Bicester, on September 22.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner ruled Mr Ferreira, a cleaner who lived with his brother, Vitro, took his own life.

He had been reported missing by his brother, and a suicide note was subsequently discovered.

Earlier that month, Mr Ferreira was admitted to hospital after eating slug pellets and overdosing on the painkiller, Ibuprofen.

During the inquest at County Hall, Vitro, who required an interpreter, saw photographs of his brother's body when it was discovered.

Vitro Ferreira asked Mr Gardiner whether his brother was killed or committed suicide.

Det Con Jill Morton, of Thames Valley Police, said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Mr Gardiner said: "I can only conclude Mr Ferreira took his own life."