A woman who died suddenly was eaten by her pet dogs after her body lay undiscovered for days, an inquest was told. Noelle Baynham was found by a close friend who let himself in after she failed to answer the door. The body had been partially eaten by the Jack Russell and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which are initially thought to have tried to wake her before becoming desperate for food. It is believed the 61-year-old from Winchester, Hampshire, collapsed and died following an accidental overdose of medication. Eaten: Noelle Baynham's dogs started to eat her remains after being locked in the house for days. The most likely cause of death was an accidental overdose, an inquest was told . However a pathologist could not determine the exact cause of death because the dogs, who were trapped in the house, ate parts of her vital organs. Concerned friend Grant Donovan made the 'horrific' discovery of her remains after nobody answered the front door at her home. He told the inquest that he could hear her two dogs barking and jumping behind the door and became concerned that there did not appear to be anyone in with them. Finding the back door unlocked, he entered the house where he said the floors were covered in dog faeces. Walking through, he then discovered Ms Baynham's body lying on the landing. 'This was the most horrifying thing I have ever seen,' he told the inquest. 'I could not look at her long, so I just came away and called 999.' Detectives who searched the house following the grim discovery, on January 17 this year, could find no evidence of a struggle or foul play. The hearing was told how former jeweller Ms Baynham was found was in her dressing gown and had run a bath just before her death. Pets: A Staffordshire Bull Terrier (left) and Jack Russell (right) like the ones owned by Noelle Baynham . Detective Constable Wesley Arnold from Hampshire Police told the coroner that scratch marks on her chest indicated that her dogs may have tried to wake her after she collapsed. Home Office pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery reaveled that she had probably died 'a few days' before she was found, but because the dogs had eaten her organs it was impossible to establish exactly what had killed her. The 'combined effect' of a variety of drugs found in her system was likely to have been the cause of an accidental overdose, she added. The hearing was told that Ms Baynham suffered from bipolar disorder and chronic alcoholism and was prescribed a variety of medication. Blood tests found a range of drugs in her system including potentially toxic levels of painkillers. Recording an open verdict, senior central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short ruled that there was no evidence of suicide or an accidental fall, but said Ms Baynham may have had a stroke. 'The horrific element in this case is what happened after death rather than before, and it's entirely plausible that when there are dogs in the house with no one to care for them, that they will then start to eat her remains. 'That clearly was a major hindrance to Dr Jeffery in her examination, and as she's explained, she was not able to look at her important organs and she could not establish a clear cause of death. 'I have to say there's no sign to say this was a deliberate overdose. There can come a point where [the drug level over time is] just too high and one pill too many can tip over the balance.' The dogs were subsequently put down on the advice of police officers.
Jack Russell and Staffordshire Bull Terrier were trapped in house.
Believed they tried to wake her before eating parts of her remains.
Coroner heard likely cause of death was from accidental overdose.
Both dogs have now been destroyed on the advice of police.